Gloves when reloading?

[DeaconKC]

Okay, after running the Dillon today, the thought occurred to me wondering if I should try wearing gloves? I know we all have seen reports of lead build up in the blood and wondered if anyone has tried running their reloading equipment wearing gloves?

[Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461]

Not unless I'm loading moly coated bullets.

I always wear them while cleaning my firearms due to the chemicals and lead absorbing into the skin,

[G W Wade]

I wear a rubber glove on my left hand for handling my lead bullets.  Still using conventional lubed bullets       GW

[Rip Snorter]

Been loading and cleaning guns bare handed for many decades.  Don't eat or drink while doing either and wash my hands thoroughly after.  No ill effects.  Probably more risk at the average indoor range, and that hasn't killed me either.  I had a recent PET scan and came up cancer free.

[Laramie]

7 minutes ago, Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461 said:

Not unless I'm loading moly coated bullets.

I always wear them while cleaning my firearms due to the chemicals and lead absorbing into the skin,

I also am more careful to wear gloves when cleaning guns. Chemicals can carry whatever is in them through your skin, including lead. 

[Badlands Bob #61228]

I load regular old lead bullets for Cowboy and I don't wear gloves.  I just wash my hands after the loading session.  I do wear those blue surgical gloves for gun cleaning.  i don't know if it helps with the lead but it does keep the Hoppe's #9 off my hands.  I attribute my decline in blood lead levels to changing over from vibrating lizard litter to wet tumbling.  I also wash my hands before eating after handling steel at the range.

[G W Wade]

Me again.   Never been bothered by lead levels.   Only wear gloves because my bullet lube gets fingers so black and I think I drop less bullets on floor with gloves on.    GW

[German Jim]

I load with Big Lube bullets and Bear Creek moly coated bullets.  I wear a rubber glove on my left hand (used for handling the bullets) and a glove of some sort on my right for cranking on my turret press.  Shot shell reloading, no glove(s) for my MEC 600jr.

[Uriah, SASS # 53822]

For about 10 years, I wear nitrile grove as I usually load lead bullets.  The large size is a little too long for me and I have two pour out the finger tip, but, the medium ones I have are too small. They’re getting expensive these days. 
 

10-15 years ago, I had my blood checked for lead. 40 years of reloading. No lead!

 

Why do I wear gloves now? Soft lubes and cleaning solvents and oils.

 

Uriah 

 

PS

I went back through my health records.

3/2011;   5mcg/dl.  
Standard Range <10mcg/dl

 

[Jack Spade]

Put me with the rubber glove on the left hand while loading lead bullets crowd.  I also wear them when cleaning guns. 

[Eyesa Horg]

When I worked with lead sheathed cables at the phone company we were tested yearly. They claimed just touching newish lead wasn't the issue, it's the dust created and inhaled working with the old oxidized lead. After reloading I just with De- lead soap. No issue with last test. However, when casting, mine did go up from the fumes. Went back to normal in a few months.

[Hoss]

I’ve tried to wear gloves to help grip moly costed bullets. Just didn’t like them. I go bare! 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Never have, never will.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

I don't wear 'em for reloading tasks.  Do wear them when I'm cleaning guns (sometimes).  Washing up well after either task, and vibratory brass cleaning in a well vented area with dust collecting dryer sheets in the tub, seems to work well enough for me.   I am much more concerned about cleaning up (personal hygiene) after lead dust exposure on the firing line and when running timer.  And I never shoot indoors (unless the bad guys won't move outdoors )   From what studying I've done, the airborne or ingestion routes seem much more damaging to health than skin absorption.

 

good luck, GJ

[Dapper Dynamite Dick]

I've had elevated blood lead levels 3 times in the last 30 years, now when I reload I use latex gloves. No problems since. Elevated blood lead levels are nothing to look forward too.

[Captain Bill Burt]

11 hours ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

I load regular old lead bullets for Cowboy and I don't wear gloves.  I just wash my hands after the loading session.  I do wear those blue surgical gloves for gun cleaning.  i don't know if it helps with the lead but it does keep the Hoppe's #9 off my hands.  I attribute my decline in blood lead levels to changing over from vibrating lizard litter to wet tumbling.  I also wash my hands before eating after handling steel at the range.

I shoot 4 matches a month, run the timer often, and reload (without gloves) for three people. A couple of years ago my lead level tested at 36. I switched from lizard litter, with dryer sheets, to wet tumbling and try to do a better job of washing my hands after shooting and loading. I had a physical two weeks ago and my lead level was 14. The only changes I made were more hand washing and wet tumbling. Worked for me.

[Rye Miles #13621]

I tried it and the gloves make it hard to hang on to the bullet, pain in the %^$. I wash my hands after and never touch my mouth or nose while reloading. My lead level is 9. Doc says that's fine! No more gloves thank you!

[Bison Bud]

It can't hurt to be cautious and wear a glove or gloves at the reloading bench, but I do find them pretty restrictive when trying to work and tend to avoid them.  With proper loading techniques and adequate hand washing, etc. I think the actual lead risk is pretty low at the reloading bench.  Frankly, your far more likely to absorb lead from breathing it in, than absorbing it through the skin.  At least in my opinion, the biggest exposure risk to lead in our game is dust from the vibratory brass cleaner and the actual firing of lead ammo and most of that comes from the primers rather than the lead bullets.  Anyway, I've been shooting and reloading most of my life and ask to have my lead level checked at least once a year and have never had any problems.  Good luck and good shooting to all.

[Go West]

I don't wear gloves to load and sometimes wear them to clean guns. If you don't wear gloves, it's hard to clean the grime off your hands.

[Chantry]

I wear nitrile gloves to reload, sort tumbled brass and usually to clean guns.  I will also wear them if I expect to be dealing with any chemicals.  I had an uncle who was a mechanic and the years of being exposed to the various automotive fluids and chemicals left his hands with badly cracked skin.

 

I also started wearing a mask to empty the tumblers, even with the dryer sheets there is still a lot of dust.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

Take this for what it is worth.  Low level lead exposure in old folks (like most of us) is probably a non-issue.  Lead levels in pregnant mothers, women of child-bearing age, their unborn fetuses, and young children may be disastrous, but that's because it can cause all sorts of problems in pregnancy and brain development in children.  My brain isn't developing any more than it is; Bullion Rose would surely say it is on the downward slide, anyway, and that started long before we learned about cowboy action shooting.  Also, lead exposure in adult men can cause reduced sperm count.  Most of my friends' sperm counts are ZERO as a result of a minor surgical procedure, so how bad can reduced sperm count be for me?  Maybe reloading is the fun and pain-free way to a zero sperm count, who knows?  Other potential problems in adults include high blood pressure, joint and muscle pain, and difficulties with memory or concentration.   Got all of them, many years before I started reloading and cowboy shooting, and nothing has gotten any worse than expected due to just getting old(er).  So, I figure that reloading and shooting lead bullets isn't going to do me much harm, and it certainly isn't going to kill me -- there's a long list of other things ahead of lead exposure on that line, including the three sorts of cancer I've survived and still deal with.  Or driving on Texas roads.  Or crossing the street.  Or ..., or ..., or ....  I don't wear gloves when reloading, but I do sometimes wear fingerless driving gloves to cushion the palm of my hand that's operating the press handle.  I just wash up thoroughly after handling lead, but mostly because it is filthy and I don't want to get everything else I touch filthy, too.

[Sebastian Blud]

I dont at home. At work yes. But we were loading commercial bulk ammo so after a few thousand rounds your hands are nasty.

The way I see it is lead from shooting entering my lungs is worse then touching it. 

[Marauder SASS #13056]

I tried the rubber gloves but almost gave up because I only wear them on one had and hated having to throw the others away. . .

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

5 hours ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

. . . but I do sometimes wear fingerless driving gloves to cushion the palm of my hand that's operating the press handle. 

 

I got a cheap pair of fingerless gloves at Harbor Freight for my right hand which works the press.  Have some damage to the palm of the hand ('caught' an out of control .60 powered RC plane, though it didn't hit me in the head).  

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/safety/gloves/1-2-half-finger-antivibration-gloves-large-95544.html

 

works well and did I mention cheap?

[Tex Wilson]

I wear nitrile gloves when cleaning my guns.

[Oddnews SASS# 24779]

It might be a good idea -- but I confess I've never done it. I had my heavy metals checked a few years back (I was loading more then), and had nothing out of the ordinary.

[Wallaby Damned]

I haven’t really given it much thought ever, other than washing my hands after shooting, reloading or cleaning.