Grease from inside rifle got in my eye.

[Walking Circles]

I got a new rifle, well new to me. The previous owner put a hundred rounds through it and just sort of forgot about it then decided to sell it.

I was taking a look over the mechanisms when I got home and long story short I ended up with a tiny bit of grease from inside the action flung in to my eye.

Now the grease itself doesn't worry me, it's the fact that there is certainly lead dust inside the mechanism form the lead compounds used in ammunition primers. Lead can apparently be absorbed through mucous membranes like the eyes. I flushed my eye immediately after it happened.

Should I be worried about this? Anyone else here in to shooting ever have this happen?

 

[TruthHurts]

I got a new rifle, well new to me. The previous owner put a hundred rounds through it and just sort of forgot about it then decided to sell it.

I was taking a look over the mechanisms when I got home and long story short I ended up with a tiny bit of grease from inside the action flung in to my eye.

Now the grease itself doesn't worry me, it's the fact that there is certainly lead dust inside the mechanism form the lead compounds used in ammunition primers. Lead can apparently be absorbed through mucous membranes like the eyes. I flushed my eye immediately after it happened.

Should I be worried about this? Anyone else here in to shooting ever have this happen?

Rinsing your eye out should be enough.When I was a kid I got gasoline in my eyes got took to the ER they just used some kind of dropper to rinse my eyes out.

 

[bin_tenn]

I've had many chemicals get in my eyes, in small amounts. I haven't always played it smart and rinsed my eyes out (when I was younger). You'll be fine.

 

[Walking Circles]

Rinsing your eye out should be enough.When I was a kid I got gasoline in my eyes got took to the ER they just used some kind of dropper to rinse my eyes out.

Was gasoline still leaded at the time?

I'm not really worried about the chemicals in the grease, it's the possible lead dust from inside the action of the rifle that could be in the grease.

 

[bin_tenn]

Was gasoline still leaded at the time?

I'm not really worried about the chemicals in the grease, it's the possible lead dust from inside the action of the rifle that could be in the grease.

I imagine that would be such a tiny amount of lead that it's a non-issue. As was pointed out, you flushed your eye, which is really all you need to do. Now, if you poured a gallon of lead filled grease directly into your eye, I might be concerned...

 

[Vincent]

I assume any lead in a tiny bit of grease like that, which you flushed out of your eye right away, would be inconsequential.