Pellets indoor, toxic concern.

[gazzalene]

I have a area at home with 40ft straight run.
I have been using a CO2 BB pistol with no issues,BB,s being stopped by large carpeted box.
I went with BB,s to get away from any lead issues,although i feel the box would stop any spatter or dust.
Do not know about lead contamination leaving pistol though.
The BB is good but accurscy is not the best by far.
Can you see a CO2 pellet pistol being a lead problem for home use.
Safety wise all bases are covered.no doors lead onto the fire line and i would be aware of any person at home,they would need to pass me to be in line of fire.
Only safety concern is lead or toxic dust/particles

[gingernut]

I recall reading that in the USA they tested an indoor air gun range and found no real contamination at shooting point and very little elsewhere.
They test everything in the States!

[gazzalene]

your right there,they have had warnings on everything for years,way before overhere.
never really seen anything on this topic,thats why I asked

[Tony.T]

At the sort of velocities your pistol shoots pellets there should be no danger whatsoever. The pellets should deform- not shatter into dust.

I have a small garden range where I shoot legal limit air rifles. All the pellets are easily recovered, turned inside out or flattened. Certainly not turned into dust. I don't think you have anything to worry about- just enjoy!

[oling]

The only concern I could envisage would be if where the pellets are landing is close to a food source/ table top or area used for food preparation. Otherwise absolutely not. Wash your hands, don't put them in your mouth and you'll be fine. Lead oxidises over time at any rate.

[Marc.RG1]

The only concern I could envisage would be if where the pellets are landing is close to a food source/ table top or area used for food preparation. Otherwise absolutely not. Wash your hands, don't put them in your mouth and you'll be fine. Lead oxidises over time at any rate.

Yeah plus 1 to that.
As long as you don't suck on the pellets your be fine mate, and quite a lot of pellets now are made from lead and tin mix..

Happy shooting...

[gazzalene]

Thanks for the info guys. always good to get other opinions.

[Marc.RG1]

Always welcome gaz

[Benelli B76]

Used to keep a few pellets in our mouths for follow up shots on rabbits when we were out shooting as teenagers. I am now almost 70. Still worried about that other voice in my head that does not agree with the others.

Baz

[airgunnut]

I recall reading that in the USA they tested an indoor air gun range and found no real contamination at shooting point and very little elsewhere.
They test everything in the States!

Here in the uk there is still a chance the water you drink is / has come through lead pipes (all the pipes you can see will be plastic or copper but deep in the fabric of old buildings it could still be lead) and then there's the lead they used in household paint, that's why they recommend that you don't remove paint that's pre 1970 (old window frames and doors are renowned for never been striped back, just painted over, sealing the lead in)

[peteswright]

Here in the uk there is still a chance the water you drink is / has come through lead pipes (all the pipes you can see will be plastic or copper but deep in the fabric of old buildings it could still be lead) and then there's the lead they used in household paint, that's why they recommend that you don't remove paint that's pre 1970 (old window frames and doors are renowned for never been striped back, just painted over, sealing the lead in)

I reckon the main danger, if any, is from lead dust, when cleaning out piles of spent pellets from traps etc. I do this as few times as possible for this reason. There's the lead deposits on fingers used for loading and generally handling pellets, but depending on how anal you want to be that's it really. ATB. Pete.

[airgunnut]

if your shooting into a carpet filled box then there should be no lead dust, dust from the carpet and the glues in the back of the carpet yes, lead pellets will only produce dust when it hits a solid object like a metal plate (pellet hits plate, energy transfer heats the pellet as it deforms, if enough energy is present fragments of lead can vaporise) firing into a carpet filled box will decelerate the pellet slowly, reducing the instant energy transfer there for the heat and chance of lead vapour/dust
there is more chance of lead dust coming out of the barrel, (in pcp and co2) when gas is released in to the barrel behind the pellet the gas expands as it expands it reduces in temp, so much that it can freeze the skirt of a pellet, now the gas is trying to expand the frozen skirt into the rifling, tiny fragments of frozen lead will flake off some get blown out of the barrel some stay in, its under those bits of lead in the barrel where water condensates as the barrel warms up (usually the first 6 inch)

[harry mac]

There is no toxic hazard from lead dust from air gun pellets. Even on firearm ranges, the main lead hazard is from the airborne particles expelled from the lead stiphnate mix used in some primers, rather than any splatter from the bullets hitting the backstop.

[trick cyclist]

If you are using bb's, are they not steel?

[wilkinss77]

If you are using bb's, are they not steel?

he has already explained in his first post that the reason he's using steel BB's is because he's uncertain of the toxic danger of lead pellets.