gun oil etc and cancer risks

[Rockhopper]

I contemplated adding something like that to my post but thought better of it :-)

[Laurie]

I covered the cheek rest on my .22 target rifle with chamois leather to make it non slip - I noticed the other day that its now gone quite a dark black colour - presumably as a result of powder residue and so on. I imagine I'm breathing a fair bit of it in as well. I'd be more worried about that than the possible effects of gun oil.

Yes, I'd think sweat and the ultaviolet in natural light will have had more effect than anything coming out of the chamber, (except solid fouling residue transferred from fired cases to the rifle via your fingertips).

[Pete]

From the RS powders safety data sheet.........

Pete

[Gazoo]

oxygen causes more cancer than anything I think. If there was no oxygen there definitely would be no cancer !!

[Andy RV]

Powder Hazard.jpg

From the RS powders safety data sheet.........

Pete

I think the acetone is the chemical you least need to worry about! I'll take acetone over nitrogylercine and some of the stabilisers / moderators any day.

[Pete]

That's my point..............the vapour is a cocktail.

Pete

[bradaz11]

you can do your cleaning wearing a full asbestos removal getup, including decom shower at the end, then step out the door and get hit by a car!

life is too short, enjoy the shooting and try to minimise your exposure, but there is no point going overboard on it

[Pete]

Well, I don't think the vapour/dust mask that I used while at work, and now while reloading, is "going overboard".............seems more like common sense to me, but hey, what do I know?
I've only been working with all kinds of toxic chemicals for 40 years or so, and I've seen a few people get ill directly as a result of a cavalier attitude towards basic safety precautions.

Pete

[bradaz11]

Well, I don't think the vapour/dust mask that I used while at work, and now while reloading, is "going overboard".............seems more like common sense to me, but hey, what do I know?
I've only been working with all kinds of toxic chemicals for 40 years or so, and I've seen a few people get ill directly as a result of a cavalier attitude towards basic safety precautions.

Pete

yes, but the circumstances are different. when working directly with highly toxic chemicals I would definitely suit up. same as if I was removing asbestos I would wear full suit and decom showers etc.
what I'm saying is risk assess. we don't walk around the shops all day with a hard hat on, just in case. because that would be disproportionate to the risk, but if wandering around a warehouse type area, with loose items in racking stored at height, a hard hat would be a good idea, to lessen the risk of injury should something fall.

If there were substantial risk of ill effect from handling reloading powders, and the act of reloading, the american producers would have to blaze it all over their packaging, like they do in the manuals for their guns

If you are comfortable sitting there in a mask reloading, and you feel there is a risk there, then you have done your risk assessment, and tried to lower your exposure. thats fine. all I'm saying is, If there is a one in a billion chance of me dying from a gunshot say, is it then proportinate to that chance, to wear a bulletproof vest every day, when all the while, there is a 1 in 500 chance of me getting hit by a bus. I think i'd concentrate more on watching out for buses.

[Maggot]

Another hazard for reloaders is the solvent vapour that comes off smokeless powders. This contains acetone among other organics, and is definitely carcinogenic.
I use a mask with an organic vapour filter when reloading.

Pete

Bollox....There goes my nail varnish collection...and the Naptha and Orange juice!!