Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading

Walnut media now sticking inside cases - thoughts ?

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SemperFiGuy:

--- Quote ---some really nasty stuff is released in the dust.  Have read accounts of lead contamination in work areas and even blood levels of people handling dry tumble materials.
--- End quote ---

The lead-in-tumbler-media situation does not get enough attention within the reloading fraternity.

But in either the Speer or Lee reloading manual, one of the writers [Rich Lee, I think], mentions a known case where a reloader came down with lead poisoning.   Everything was checked.   Last item checked was the tumbler and the media.   Which turned out to be the primary cause.

Keep the lid on that tumbler while it is running.   Don't handle media w/your hands.

It's no biggie to get blood lead levels checked at every annual physical.   Just tell your doc.   It's a very good idea.   Lead poisoning onsets at 40 micrograms/deciliter.   Lower in the Little Kiddies.

sfg

00BUCK:
I'd bet on moisture in the cases from what you described. Cold things in warm places tend to do that.

To cut down on lead risks that SFG describes I always wear nitrile gloves when handling cases that come out of the tumbler. They go from the tumbler to the depriming / sizing die with Hornady One Shot spray lube. My final step in case prep is to run them through the Hornady Magnum sonic cleaner. Not only does it get remaining dirt and lube off but the primer pockets get perfectly clean as well. Any remaining lead residue is washed off during cleaning and even more so when rinsing them after. I am not a fan of wearing the nitrile gloves when priming so I want the brass to be as clean as possible before handling. I do wear the gloves when loading though as the bullets are open base with exposed lead and there is sure to be lead residue on the bullets.

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