I got a serious case of lead poisoning while serving as a range officer/combat firearms instructor on our brand new police range. I used a Hepa vacumn cleaner, and mask that was supposed to eliminate lead inhalation on a weekly basis for range clean up. The problem we had was that the Town in its infinite wisdom (and being cheap) decided to have a recirculation system for the air in the range instead of the traditional exhaust. Filters which had to be cleaned bi-monthly were supposed to handle the lead issue. I along with a Lieutenant trained 157 officers over a couple of weeks and breathed the air constantly. After roughly three months we went for our scheduled blood tests and were told to get off the range immediately. The normal count for lead in the body I believe is around 2-6 parts per million. The Lieutenant and I were up to 82 and that set off some alarms. It was a while before that was straightened out. The range was modified to standard exhaust.
Do you wear latex gloves while reloading?
- Thread starter TackDriver284
- Start date
Tackdriver 284 said, "Just a thought that came across, do any of you guys wear latex gloves while reloading? We have been seeing warning labels on ammo accessories like lead and chemicals, etc."
You can thank California for that BS. According to the state of fruits, nuts and flaked, everything causes cancer. So, regardless of where you might live, because a product may be sold in California that warning label has to be on the package/container, whatever.
As far as wearing gloves or other protective gear while going about reloading, bullet casting whatever, I've never bothered during the 70 years that I've been doing it. I've been tested for lead levels in my body and declared perfectly normal for born in the late 1930s when lead was a lot more present. I've been casting bullets since I was 16 and for a couple of years worked at a gun shop that cast and sold bullets. No bullet casting machines, just a few of us dudes running two pots and a couple of molds for the same bullet. When not casting we lubed, sized and boxed them. Here's a helpful hint if you're worried about lead. Drink a lot of orange juice. It'll help your system expel what lead you've absorbed. when you pee.
FWIW, most of my shooting over the years was with my home cast lead bullets. I probably shot a dozen or more cast bullets for every jacketed bullet down a barrel. Been doing it for years and I'm still here.
Paul B.
You can thank California for that BS. According to the state of fruits, nuts and flaked, everything causes cancer. So, regardless of where you might live, because a product may be sold in California that warning label has to be on the package/container, whatever.
As far as wearing gloves or other protective gear while going about reloading, bullet casting whatever, I've never bothered during the 70 years that I've been doing it. I've been tested for lead levels in my body and declared perfectly normal for born in the late 1930s when lead was a lot more present. I've been casting bullets since I was 16 and for a couple of years worked at a gun shop that cast and sold bullets. No bullet casting machines, just a few of us dudes running two pots and a couple of molds for the same bullet. When not casting we lubed, sized and boxed them. Here's a helpful hint if you're worried about lead. Drink a lot of orange juice. It'll help your system expel what lead you've absorbed. when you pee.
FWIW, most of my shooting over the years was with my home cast lead bullets. I probably shot a dozen or more cast bullets for every jacketed bullet down a barrel. Been doing it for years and I'm still here.
Paul B.
Dr. Vette
Handloader
- Apr 16, 2012
- 1,546
- 490
Yes, I do.
I wear them when handling the Imperial dry lube, and then loading, as well as when priming and dispensing powder.
It helps minimize dirty hands, and also keeps the primers clean.
Of course, I'm not a stranger to using them, so it works well for me.
I wear them when handling the Imperial dry lube, and then loading, as well as when priming and dispensing powder.
It helps minimize dirty hands, and also keeps the primers clean.
Of course, I'm not a stranger to using them, so it works well for me.
filmjunkie4ever
Handloader
- May 4, 2011
- 2,272
- 2,261
With brand new brass, I will wear cotton gloves to keep from staining them with bullet lube greasy fingerprints. Then I was my hands with soap and water afterwards like always. Like others have said, the latex (or vinyl, nitrile, etc.) gloves get rather sweaty if worn for a long time.
KinleyWater
Handloader
- Jun 15, 2019
- 1,189
- 1,691
I once met someone who got got poisoned by working around jets. POL soaked rags, hydraulic fluid, brakes, you name it. But it was the liquids on skin which apparently had the biggest impact; got absorbed through the skin. That's what gave me pause about the solvents.
Turpentine
Beginner
- Apr 16, 2025
- 25
- 80
No sir, not worried about it in the slightest. In the shape I'm in I'm much more concerned
with outliving my usefulness.
with outliving my usefulness.
YakubaSlava36
Beginner
- May 11, 2026
- 6
- 1
oh, what I also wanted to add - you better wear those gloves because you can ruin your skins on your hands like I did back in 90's and now my skin is so hard that I can easily shark knife with it
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phil
Shooter!
- Jan 4, 2023
- 189
- 336
Never.
Wouldn’t hurt to use leather when I’m shuffling them out of the AMP machine though. Slow learner here.
Wouldn’t hurt to use leather when I’m shuffling them out of the AMP machine though. Slow learner here.
1100 Remington Man
Handloader
- May 1, 2007
- 1,229
- 493
No and I have loaded around 3500 12ga shotgun shells this summer, and I have been doing this for 40 plus years. I just was my hands when they get dirty. No I don’t drink or eat reloading.
