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Non-Toxic Handloads To Save The World
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Guns Magazine January 2001 Issue
Article By Chrales E Petty
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More and more indoor ranges are requiring the use of non-toxic ammunition. Political correctness has dicated that lead is the next great peril threatening the earth.There are two principle sources of lead from ammunition: the bullet and the primer. All the major ammo makers are addressing both of these issues. Conventional primers use a compound called lead styphnate as an initiatior.
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Even though the amount of lead released by a single primer is measured in milligrams or smaller quantities, it does add up. In addition, the rear end of a bullet is exposed to considerable heat so if any lead is exposed, come will be vaporized, entering the atmosphere.
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The industry has approached these issues at both points. Lead-free, and more recently, toxic-metal-free primers have been developed and are in use. In the primer, a compound commonly called diazodintrophenol (DDNP) replaces lead styphnate. The chemistry isn't new, but it has taken years of research to get lead-free primers to a marketable stage--largely due to issues of reliability.
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There are two types of primers that use DDNP. The first is one where only the lead is eliminated. These are normally called "lead-free" and are widely used. There's another type that eliminates other potentially toxic metals such as antimony; these are usually labeled, "non-toxic." Both afford loaders new concerns, including sealing, precise control of seating depth, flash hole size and powder compatibility.
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You can't simply switch from one primer to the other. Some powders that work well with conventional primers are hard to light with lead-free primers and cases must be thoroughly sealed to avoid water absorption. At this time no American maker offers lead-free primers to the hobby loader.
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