I think as enlightened people we should know what exactly we are dealing with when working with chemicals that are in or around our firearms and would like to compile a working list. All information as been taken from WWW.Siri.Org
If you have something that you know is in any type of chemical (I.E. Lead Azide in primers) put the name on here and we can figure out the health effects that we are exposing ourselves to.
This list could go on for pages but these are the quick ones that came to mind as I thought about this. It is our own duty to take care of our health and many of the compounds we deal with are more hazardous than one would think!
I believe that you might suffer from over-exposure to lawyers.
Lead azide in primers is only hazardous in the two or three meters' distance forward of a firing line. The fine, particulate, lead residue can POSSIBLY be absorbed and accumulated over time (decades).
Brake cleaning liquids? I've not used them, although I've read some folks do for tough cleaning tasks. Typically, the hazards and proper use techniques are prominently shown on labels.
If you have anxieties regarding any materials used in shooting, I suggest that you contact the manufacturer(s). Most of us have figured out that drinking Hoppe's #9 is not the most healthy act a person can do.
Don't presume that all readers of this blog know what a material safety data sheet (MSDS) is.
If you are concerned that nitrocellulose is a hazardous material, do you understand the full implications of the term "deadly force"?
Lead azide in primers is only hazardous in the two or three meters' distance forward of a firing line. The fine, particulate, lead residue can POSSIBLY be absorbed and accumulated over time (decades).
There are plenty of shooters, especially frequent or competition shooters on indoor ranges that would probably disagree with several parts of that.
I think its a great reminder that several of the things we touch or use on guns are pretty nasty and we should be in the habit of washing very very throughly or perhaps even better yet wearing nitrile gloves for things like cleaning, especially since we might be exposed to them often.
Thats the Idea, Almost nothing we use in firearms today is NOT dangerous in low dosages once or twice.
The problem comes is that we are exposed to these compounds that are readily absorbed (weather you think it or not) through the skin and lungs and not just once or twice.
How often do you clean your firearm? Do you use Hoppes? I would bet money it has some sort of petroleum distillate in it that can enter your body and make havoc on it. A little over a long period of time turns into a lot. . . .
Well, at a certain level you're right. But then, my wife thinks my consumption of less than one pint per day of whole milk is hazardous.
I use a range of petroleum products in light aircraft maintenance; from simple mineral spirits and alcohol through laquer thinner to benzene and methyl ethyl ketone. Sure enough, if I'm sloppy with my shop practices, I'll not see the high side of seventy.
Some of us have had enough "should have dieds" in our past that we just don't sweat this stuff. Again, my wife worries about "killer" milk. . . .:banghead:
lead styphanate is used in primers.
Lead azide has problems if exposed to copper or zinc (and other metals).
You are going to die from something.
Long period occupational exposure is one thing.
Even cleaning firearms once a week is way down on the scale of exposure.
There are also many things that appear more dangerous but are actually safer.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) and acetone would appear to be a really nasty dangerous chemicals.
Both are purer than things like paint thinner (AKA 'Stoddard Solvent).
Denatured alcohol is far safer than using pure methyl alcohol.
Methyl alcohol can be easily absorbed through skin and the body metabolizes it to formaldehyde (preferentially accumulates and attacks the retina).
The concept of this thread is very good. I think a sticky along the lines of access to MSDS sheets on the various chemicals used would be great information. You do need to have some background to understand some of the risks properly. MSDS sheets are usually prepared to be written in lay man's terms which makes them a good source of infomation.
At some point, my ammo supply will probably make my house a hazardous waste storage site. There are already restrictions that relate to flamability or explosivity for things like black powder storage. But many of the common household chemcials used are hazardous to some degree. It is one of the reasons that I'm sold on Simple Green for many cleaning tasks.
MEK?
I'm not sure who told you MEK isn't dangerous but they wern't exactly telling the truth, Nor where they lying.
I'm not going to say that I don't touch any of these things, on the contrary, I probably let chemicals in my chemistry labs touch me way more than they should!
The concept that we should be conscious of what we use and aware of the hazards so we can deal with those hazards is excellent. Plenty of materials out there that may be fine to use in one way that are not when used differently or that the hazards from them are easily dealt with by having good ventilation.
You should get the material safety data sheet from the manufacturer of the products you intend to use and not try to use MSDSs for components of the products.
Sure, you've got to die from something, but some things that we use can make how we die very unpleasant. If we claim we're being responsible for our safety by carrying a firearm then we shouldn't have any problem being responsible for our safety by understanding what we use.
The MSDS for nitrocellulose is for a blue liquid with a solvent smell - I'm pretty sure that's not in my gunpowder. That must be the dissolved form - and most of the dangers listed therein are related to the solvent, not the dried solid form.
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