Can I eat game shot with moly coated bullets? Is moly toxic or hazardous in any way?
Moly is necessary in the human body in order to maintain good health and is usually ingested by eating vegetables, which take up Moly from the soil. One need only read the back panel of almost all man made fertilizers to see that one of the ingredients is Moly as shown by the chemical symbol Mo. Any excess ingestion of Moly will result in the excess being thrown off by the body in the same manner as an excess of vitamins. Therefore, there is no danger at all in eating game animal killed with a Moly bullet.
Breathing dry Moly is another story entirely. Moly with a particle size of seven microns or below is comparable to a droplet of fog suspended in the air and is very easily inhaled. Dry Moly in the presence of moisture (such as in the lungs) quickly becomes acidic and just as quickly begins to irritate lung tissue. The latter, irritated lung tissue, allows rapid invasion of bacteria and viruses which quickly lead to respiratory infections. Prolonged or regular inhalation of dry moly and the continued irritation of lung tissue can lead to lung cancer and death. Anyone who works with dry moly should wear a respirator and safety glasses at all times.
What is the truth about Moly?
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Can I eat game shot with moly coated bullets? Is moly toxic or hazardous in any way? |
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Is all moly the same? |
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I have heard that moly is corrosive. Is this true? |
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I am a precision competition shooter and already get almost twice the life out of my target barrel using dry moly-coated bullets when compared to my use of standard non-coated bullets. Why do I need to worry about corrosion, etc.? |
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What causes me to experience a reduction in velocity when firing moly-coated bullets? |
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How can I regain or set back the lost velocity? |
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I have been firing moly bullets for some time and I'm getting some kind of buildup or caking in the bore. What is this stuff? |
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In the future, how can I avoid any buildup or caking and other undesirable side effects of using moly bullets? |
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Addendum |
1st June 1999 Parsec Group There appears to be continued confusion regarding certain aspects of using Molybdenum Disulfide in weapons environment. The following information is added to clear up some of this confusion: 1. It is claimed that removing moly (caked or not) from a barrel is not difficult and that simply running a patch through the bore will suffice. This is decidedly NOT correct and is based upon seeing the grey to black color coming out on the patch. The discoloration is being caused by the patch cleaning out the ultra thin layer of Molybdenum Trioxide (MoO3) which has formed on the surface of the Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) due to the heat of firing, MoS2 begins to oxidize to MoO3 at a temperature of around 1000 degrees F. This ultra thin coating of MoO3 tends to protect the MoS2 from further oxidation but DOES NOT seal the MoS2 from moisture in the air. The latter, picking up moisture from the air, is what reacts with the Sulfur and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) contained in the MoS2 to form corrosive acids. The only way to completely remove MoS2 after it has plated to the steel is to use a mild abrasive such as JB Bore Paste. Great care should be taken in order not to damage the lands and grooves of the bore when using any abrasive. MoO3 does have some lubricating ability (less than MoS2) but it does NOT have the layer / lattice structure of MoS2 nor does it have any affinity for steel or any other metal. 2. It has been stated that thousands of rifle shooters have used moly-coated bullets without excessive caking or corrosion. As caking and corrosion are related to the purity level, particle size and absence of acid neutralizers of the dry MoS2, there are thousands of rifle shooters who HAVE HAD problems with both caking and corrosion. The obvious conclusion here is to simply abandon the use of moly coated bullets and use a properly formulated moly weapons oil which has been inhibited against corrosion, is remicronized and with a purity level of 99% plus. 3. There are many who believe that swabbing the bore with a patch saturated with a penetrating oil called "Kroil" will eliminate all possibilities of corrosion. Again, the concept is NOT correct. The application of Kroil is only a temporary "fix" and will (for a maximum of about 2 days) seal off the MoS2 FROM MOISTURE IN THE AIR. Afterward, the Kroil film dries ruptures and again allows moisture in the air to contact the MoS2 crystals with acid formation as a result. Kroil contains no acid neutralizers and is formulated for the sole purpose of using it to loosen frozen and corroded nuts, bolts and other fasteners. Kroil obviously does a very good job in applications for which it was formulated. However, Kroil was NOT formulated as a weapons oil and was never intended to be used for weapons application. This information may be verified by speaking with the Kroil Chief Chemist, Mr. Joe Sinclair, who may be reached at 1-800-311-3374. It must be remembered and recognized that all chemical formulas should be used only for the purpose intended by its formula. One does not use motor oil to fry eggs for breakfast even though it is an oil. Motor oil was not formulated as a cooking oil and certainly should not be used as such. This logic holds true for any lubricant, solid or liquid, regarding its application to weapons of any kind. The end user of any chemical formula should first ask himself "am I using this product for the purpose intended and for which the product was formulated?" If the answer to either part of this question is "no," then you should certain not use it. We trust this information will further clarify the confusion surrounding using MoS2 in a weapons application.
The Parsec Group |
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