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Lead or Lead-Free PRIMERS??

competentone
I've never heard of lead being any sort of problem with primers.

FN sells an ammo for their FiveSeven (SS195) that is designated "lead-free"; people selling it on GB and discussing it on the FiveSeven Forum are talking about the ammo having "lead-free primers."

Is this accurate? Or is the idea about lead-free primers just mis-information that keeps being repeated?

One thread on the FiveSeven Forum discussing the subject:
http://fivesevenforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154

Does anyone have expert knowledge about the 5.7x28 SS195; what exactly is "lead-free" about it?


"Strength is the outcome of need; security sets a premium on feebleness." -- H.G. Wells (The Time Machine)
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5 comments

Date Votes
  • 1KYDSTR
    They are referring to the projectile, not the primer compound. Lead, not being exactly flammable and as far as I am aware, not being used as a retarding agent would have no place in the ignition process. Normally the lead-free thing is applied to indoor range ammo as the gasses created by them being fired causes the lead to become aerosal which can lead to birth defects and other such nasty things.

    "When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
    "When I was 14 I used to marvel at how ignorant my old man was...by the time I was 21 I was truelly amazed at how much the old bugger had learned in the intervening 7 years!" Samuel Clemens
    "History is written by winners"(Patton)
    "You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
    "There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)
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  • heavyiron
    Lead is one of the major components of conventionally manufactured primers. It has been for years. The particular compound of interest in the primer is lead styphnate. It is one of the primary compounds that makes the primer go boom.

    And, yes, the lead can be a health problem if ingested in small doses over long periods of time. Lead will remain in the body and is not eliminated. Therefore, the quantity of lead will continue to accumulate in the human body as long as there is an exposure to lead. One of the reasons that indoor shooting ranges have forced ventilation is because one of the sources of lead exposure comes from breathing the burned primer compound in addition to the lead from the bullets hitting the backstop. Lead residue from the primer compound is the reason it is so important to wash the hands after shooting! Get the lead out!

    Also if the lead in primers is not a problem for you, it is for the manufacturers of primers due to their employee exposure to lead in the workplace and OSHA concerns.

    Yes, lead free primers are legitimate and they are being manufactured by some of the major ammo companies.

    Here is a link to an article that talks about lead-free primers.

    http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_5_51/ai_n13469620

    Regards,

    Heavyiron

    bullitt_county_4199_small.jpg
    "If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix
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  • 1KYDSTR
    I stand humbled! Really good, comprehensive answere. Perhaps I should read the back of one of those primer boxes in the 'ol reloading hole. Sorry for the mis-information.

    "When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
    "When I was 14 I used to marvel at how ignorant my old man was...by the time I was 21 I was truelly amazed at how much the old bugger had learned in the intervening 7 years!" Samuel Clemens
    "History is written by winners"(Patton)
    "You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
    "There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)
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  • competentone
    Thanks for the replies -- exactly the sort of detail I was looking for.
    "Strength is the outcome of need; security sets a premium on feebleness." -- H.G. Wells (The Time Machine)
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  • heavyiron
    I might also add as a post script that lead styphnate is the main ingredient in blasting caps for dynamite.

    Regards,

    Heavyiron

    bullitt_county_4199_small.jpg
    "If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix
    0

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