Shooters Exposure to Lead - Be Safe

Lead Exposure At the Shooting Range
Sources of lead during shooting include:

The purpose of this article is not to alarm or suggest curtailing shooting or reloading activities. The intent is to educate shooters who regularly shoot firearms, aware of the possibility of lead poisoning and how to secure protection from toxic lead contamination.
The primer compound, which is made of about 50 percent lead-containing compounds
The effect of the hot propellant gases on the base of the lead bullet;
Friction of the bullet against the barrel wall;
Fragmentation of the bullet against the target and backstop.
After the bullet leaves the muzzle of a handgun, the lead-containing gases naturally stream forward, unless they are diverted by wind or ventilation-created air currents. In a handgun with a compensator, the lead-containing gases stream in the direction of the compensator vents as well as out the muzzle. In an automatic pistol, as the slide returns to eject the spent case, some lead-containing gases are directed back toward the shooter. Fragmentation of the bullet against the target and backstop results in significant lead dispersal. 

TIPS TO PREVENT LEAD POISON:

·         Use copper-covered bullets.

·          Do not shoot in a poorly ventilated indoor range.

·          Do not clean up lead dust in an indoor range without the use of a protective air filter.

·          Do not clean up the lead fragments against the backstop without the use of a protective air filter.

·          Avoid shooting on days when the wind is blowing toward you.

·          Consider limiting the time you shoot on a busy range to minimize exposure to second hand lead.

·          Consider sending as few shooters as possible to score or put up new targets in an indoor range since the air lead is highest at the target.  Share this risk.

·          Do not eat while shooting.  After shooting, wash your hands thoroughly before you eat.

·          Do not smoke while shooting.  After shooting, wash your hands thoroughly before you smoke.

·          Leave indoor ranges immediately after shooting.

·          Change your shirt after shooting to avoid exposure to the lead that accumulates on your clothes.  Wash your clothes after a trip to the range.

·          Have your blood lead checked if you shoot on a weekly basis, if you shoot or reload more than 500 rounds a month, or if you develop any symptoms of lead poisoning.

·          Consider wearing a protective air filter if your blood lead is elevated.

LEAD SOURCES:

Lead (chemical symbol: Pb) Lead accumulates in the human body because it is one of the few ingredients not eliminated via kidney, liver or other methods of waste removal functions, thus causing damage to red blood cells. Tiny doses of lead, ingested through respiration or digestion accumulate over a long period of time can get into the blood.

Projectiles are made up of lead, copper, zinc and antimony. The common properties of a primer are: copper, zinc, lead antimony, barium, lead styphnate and tetazene. Unless the bullet is totally encased in a non-lead product (copper), elemental lead is shaved as it passes through the barrel and then dispersed into the air.

The greatest risk to shooters is the compound leads that are vaporized and formed by the burning powder. There are two sources of this dangerous gas. One is the burning powder sears the base of the lead projectile causing lead gases to be expelled with the powder residue. The next source is the vaporized lead and lead styphnate when the primer is discharged.

Well know is the fact that long term and/or short intense exposure to lead particles and dust can cause lead poisoning. The sport of shooting and reloading should be safe if you are keenly aware of toxic levels of lead.

Even the tiniest amount as small as 1/2 of 1/10 of one grain (.005), dissolved in your blood can produce adverse conditions.

SUGGESTED PREVENTIVE MEASURES:

• Blow your nose after shooting;
• Wash your hands for at least 30 seconds under running water and soap after any shooting or reloading activities;
• Wash hair before bed. Lead particles in the hair can transfer to the pillow and thus be ingested during sleep;
• Use lead free primers. (Copper plated is the best)
• Your physician should test you for lead levels as part of your regular check-up;
• Wear breathing masks for extended time on the range.
• Change your shooting clothes and footwear so as not to contaminate car, home or office;

Common sense is the key. If lead is a toxin and part of your job involves being exposed to it, then keeping the work space and your personal gear clean is critical to avoiding the dangers.

SUGGESTED RANGE RULES AND PROCEDURES:

• Avoid exposure to lead by handling fired cases or shooting should wash their hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking;
• Place contaminated clothes in a plastic bag to transport home to your laundry facilities;
• Wash immediately and separately contaminated clothing.
• Use lead-free ammunition;
• Dry sweeping should never be practiced on the range floor;
• Anyone engaged in shooting activities on a extensive basis should wear breathing masks.
• Some companies specialize in lead reclamation even by "mining" lead from outdoor earth banks.
• Shooters should have a BLL (blood lead level) test every six months.

Lead poisoning is a serious problem for frequent shooters of non- lead- free ammunition.  Lead contamination of clothing that has been exposed to lead can be a significant factor.  Beware of contamination transfer to car, house, and work environments.

BE SAFE!

REPRINTED:

Tool list:

1. picks (like dental picks)
2. punch
3. phillips screw driver
4. sand paper (400 grit works well)
5. paddedvise

 First off you need to unload and field strip your pistol



Remove the magazine, then align the two lines on the rear of the slide:



Push out the slide stop



then pull it out





The slide will now pull off towards the front, removing the barrel and spring is not required for a trigger job



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next remove the grips using a phillips screw driver



remove the mainspring plug pin (under pressure, push the plug against a table or similar surface while doing this)





then carefully take out the magazine break like so lifting up and pulling forward:



Then release the mainspring plug



Pull out the plug and mainspring



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Next lift up on the sear spring



while lifting up the spring pull out the safety (helps if its on safe to give more to grab onto) The CZ-85B you have to pull out both sides of the safety



lift out the trigger assembly



Remove the sear pin





taken apart, be careful of the two small springs in it (sear spring and firing pin block lever spring)



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Next sanding on the sear. I use 400 grit paper and found it to be effective, while sanding I found putting the paper on a flat surface and carefully taking the sear across it the best way do sand it down, though other ways such as using a vise may also work. Also do not round any corners off!

The part to sand, this is after and it gives good trigger pull and weight. Do a little bit at a time to be safe, an note hammer engagement. When the trigger is pulled in single action, if the hammer moves back before releasing this is positive engagement (safest), if it doesn't move its neutral, and if it moves forward, negative (most unsafe). My goal is to have minimal postive engagement, though neutral may be desirable for a target oriented pistol)



Now reassembly of the trigger assembly (basically reverse order)



Leave firing pin safety lever spring like this for reassembly...



Then while carefully pushing lever towards its side move spring to its correct position



Reassembled



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Next is to get the hammer out

Push the safety detent plunger inward



and remove



next is to remove hammer pin retaining peg



Push up on it from here



then pull out from the top using tweezers



Push out the hammer pin



pull the hammer assembly out of the top



Shows the surfaces to be smoothed, also don't round any edges. I would recommend keeping the angles the same here too, can be angled backwards but I recommend against it, as it may cause negative engagement





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Reassembly is just reversed, but with a few helpful tips

Lift this spring when putting safety back in



then push back the safety detent plunger back far as you can, while pushing safety back in.



Then reversed order on the main spring and grips and slide.
The mainspring also may be changed too as well to help with trigger pull, especially with double action. I used a Cz-52 spring since I have extras and found them to be reliable, you can get the same effect as cutting coils off, but that is un reversible and you may make it too light, you can get lighter springs here:
www.gunsprings.com/SemiAuto/EAANF.html

Then as usual function test the pistol and safety.

I hope this helps make your CZ trigger much better.