I shoot Russian ammo, generally, when I go to the range. They use some sort of compound in their gun powder, or in the lacquer they coat the cartridges with, and when shot/burned lets out an amonia or amonia-like vapor. After a day of shooting, I usually have a mild headache.
What sort of effects could result?
Also, I was outside, so the ventilation was pretty good.
I think the major effect to the brain is messing with your ability to spell the word…
I’m kidding of course.
Does this headache only happen when you shoot the russian ammo? Or whenever you shoot?
Well, here is the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s fact sheet on ammonia. However, before figuring out the potential health effects of your Russian ammo*, you probably would need to find out if what you’re smelling really is ammonia.
*That is, the health effects other than the obvious ones if you were on the wrong side of it.
Oh, and couldn’t a day of being exposed to really loud noises also cause a headache? Have you checked your ear protection?
I can’t think of a time where I was shooting and there wasn’t Russian ammo around.
I always seem to notice the headache, though, a few minutes after the ammonia (sorry, it’s not a common word, didn’t think of the spelling).
Is it a green lacquer?
http://www.ammoman.com/wolf_description.htm
If it really is a lacquer that’s burning off, then it’s probably not good for you to be breathing the fumes, no matter whether it has ammonia in it or not. Breathing burning lacquer fumes will give you a headache.
It’s not wolf, it’s barnaul, but russian commercial ammo is made basically the same way as their military stuff, and it consistently has the green lacquer. So yes, it may be the burning lacquer.
If that’s causing the headaches, what’s a practical way to avoid them?
Wear a gas mask?
Don’t shoot that kind of ammo?
Don’t breathe?
Take up a different, non-toxic hobby?
You choose. 
Hire a beautiful naked woman to fan you with a giant palm fan and blow the fumes away while you shoot?
…or a beautiful naked man…
**
Hmm… would something like a surgical mask do some good?
**
Not an option. Russia is the only place to really get the sort of ammo I shoot in any quantity.
**
It’s somewhat persistent.
**
Never!
You choose. **
[/QUOTE]
Hmm.
Brain damage…
Guns…
Brain damage…
guns…
argh.
Oh God, that was horrible.
What went so wrong?
It’s not you–threads all over the place are losing their “quote” function.
No clue as to why, but it’s not you.
Watch, I’ll try.
Did that quote?
Preview–no.
I’ll send an e-mail to an administrator somewhere.
Or maybe Dr. Matrix is around somewhere–I just saw him in a thread…
Odd, it seems to have fixed itself, except for the last one.
Is lacquer a general name for a group of similar chemicals, or does it actually refer to one specific chemical?
In any case, what would be the negative effects of inhaling lacquer fumes?