Talking about high tech? Tritium Titanium Alloy Tail Light Cap For Blackwater SR71

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: intrptr

The tritium in sights on M16s in the 80's rotted the glass vials they were contained in, turning them to glow in the dark jelly.

The earliest use of tritium in weapon sights was in 1975. And it was an optic very much the precursor to today's TA01 ACOG.

None of the effects you listed took place on those weapons. In fact, after about 12-15 years, depending on the phosphor gas used, they would stop glowing entirely.

No M16s were outfitted with night sights and issued to any soldier in the 80s. Trijicon(as it is known today) is the pioneer of tritium self luminous sighting systems. Their systems were first used in the US military in the early 90s as the TA01 ACOG. It is still considered top of the line and priced accordingly.

If you're gonna spread BS at least make sure no one who knows what they are talking about is around.

The lot of sights I saw at the Pamona Gun show in the early 80s were front post tritium, in the wrap, never been installed, bought at a military base auction. While at the show discovered to be decaying in their wrap, like I said jellied goo.

I'm not making this up. Once it was discovered they had decayed and presented a health hazard to the public, they were pulled by the seller and never seen again. It was the talk of the gun show circuit for awhile though. How I learned about those particular sights, back when.

Now call me a liar, again. You weren't even born yet... One of the old sight posts, the glass vial eroded, the contents evident as white residue in the sight well and on the post itself...



Link to image

a reply to: Bedlam

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: EartOccupant

If its really Tritium, its radioactive. It will decay the housing over time and leak jellied radioactive goo. If you put the end of the flashlight in your mouth for hands free activity, that could be ingesting radioactive materials, the worst case scenario.

Just get some glow in the dark plastic instead.

A buck 2fitty at the toy store.

Further: Watch dials used to be lit by it, and at one point Tritium night sights were incorporated in the front sight post of M16s. Those stocks were rotted a few years after they were issued, and considered hazardous. I remember seeing cases of the jellied things for sale at the gun shows.

Cue the radioactive banana crowd.

Tritium has been used in watches for over 50 years. Those watches are still ticking.

a reply to: intrptr

The vial's in that slit. Tritium's a gas. It doesn't form white residue. That sight looks like a mepro. I don't think tritium sights came standard on M16s.

Beta radiation from tritium averages about 6kev, and doesn't cause material damage because it's not very energetic. Tritium's not any more chemically corrosive than hydrogen.

originally posted by: Bedlam
a reply to: intrptr

The vial's in that slit. Tritium's a gas. It doesn't form white residue. That sight looks like a mepro. I don't think tritium sights came standard on M16s.

Beta radiation from tritium averages about 6kev, and doesn't cause material damage because it's not very energetic. Tritium's not any more chemically corrosive than hydrogen.

"Not very energetic". Radiation isn't "chemically corrosive".

The vial is gone. The residue is powdered radioactive glass, from the vial. This is a steel post, look at the threaded portion, it is eroded.

Finally, "Tritium's not any more chemically corrosive than hydrogen." riiight. Though a low emitter with a relatively short half-life, tritium is harmful to humans if inhaled or ingested.

Why don't you do a test and inhale some (its gaseous) and get back to me after you develop lung cancer.

originally posted by: Sparkitekt

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: EartOccupant

If its really Tritium, its radioactive. It will decay the housing over time and leak jellied radioactive goo. If you put the end of the flashlight in your mouth for hands free activity, that could be ingesting radioactive materials, the worst case scenario.

Just get some glow in the dark plastic instead.

A buck 2fitty at the toy store.

Further: Watch dials used to be lit by it, and at one point Tritium night sights were incorporated in the front sight post of M16s. Those stocks were rotted a few years after they were issued, and considered hazardous. I remember seeing cases of the jellied things for sale at the gun shows.

Cue the radioactive banana crowd.

Tritium has been used in watches for over 50 years. Those watches are still ticking.

No thanks, I don't want radioactive sources in close contact with my body, on or in anything anything I own.

If a tritium tube breaks, one should leave the area and allow the gas to diffuse into the air. Tritium exists naturally in the environment, but in very small quantities. Persons working with the gas face another hazard: tritium reacts with the oxygen in air, forming tritiated water. This moisture is readily ingested by the body. When in contact with any hydrocarbon the tritium atom replaces the natural hydrogen. This can even occur with the natural oil on a person's skin.

consumer and safety devices containing tritium for use in the United States are subject to certain possession, resale, disposal, and use restrictions. In the US, devices such as self-luminous exit signs, gauges, wrist watches, etc. that contain small amounts of tritium are under the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and are subject to possession, distribution, and import and export regulations found in 10 CFR Parts, 30, 32, and 110. They are also subject to regulations for possession, use and disposal in certain states. Luminous products containing quantities of tritium greater than that which is used for a wrist watch are not widely available at retail outlets in the United States.

wiki

originally posted by: intrptr

The vial is gone. The residue is powdered radioactive glass, from the vial. This is a steel post, look at the threaded portion, it is eroded.

And, that tells you that something else has been going on here. Because tritium isn't going to do that.

Finally, "Tritium's not any more chemically corrosive than hydrogen." riiight. Though a low emitter with a relatively short half-life, tritium is harmful to humans if inhaled or ingested.

Chemically, tritium is hydrogen. Period. It doesn't enter into chemical reactions any differently than hydrogen. If straight hydrogen wouldn't do that, tritium won't either. And yes, it's a very weak emitter. If I had to pick something to be exposed to, it would be tritium.

Why don't you do a test and inhale some (its gaseous) and get back to me after you develop lung cancer.

I haven't yet, and yes, I'm pretty sure I've gotten a toot of it more than once.

originally posted by: intrptr

No thanks, I don't want radioactive sources in close contact with my body, on or in anything anything I own.

Better find some way to get the potassium out of your body.

originally posted by: intrptr
This is a steel post, look at the threaded portion, it is eroded.

That sight is ancient, who knows what type of conditions it experienced.

a reply to: Bedlam

If I had to pick something to be exposed to, it would be tritium.

How a bout a nice X-ray or airline flight?

Art least when they are done the source is turned off and the exposure ends. As opposed to internalized sources that can't be turned off.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: intrptr
This is a steel post, look at the threaded portion, it is eroded.

That sight is ancient, who knows what type of conditions it experienced.

Well, the mounting post being corroded tells you it wasn't the tritium.

Tritium's a beta emitter. It won't go through #. Not the vial, not the steel. There's no way the beta emission caused ANY damage. Much less to a steel post below the capsule, below a steel mounting stud, inside a glass capsule.

a reply to: Bedlam

And it's sooooooo 'radioactive' the guy is bare-handing it.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Bedlam

If I had to pick something to be exposed to, it would be tritium.

How a bout a nice X-ray or airline flight?

Art least when they are done the source is turned off and the exposure ends. As opposed to internalized sources that can't be turned off.

You'll pee off whatever tritium you're exposed to with a half life of about a week. And it's about the crappiest emitter there is. Radon is a lot worse.

Also you're filled with K-40. It's also a beta emitter. You're irradiating yourself, right now.

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: intrptr

No thanks, I don't want radioactive sources in close contact with my body, on or in anything anything I own.

Better find some way to get the potassium out of your body.

Body needs some potassium.

You heard that Flint Michigan is just one place drinking water is lead contaminated? We won't go into Mercury and other heavy metals, PCBs, pesticides, etc.

I used to bathe up to my elbows in trichlor in vapor degreasers in the PCB industry, soldered power supples, recycled metals, been fleeced wth asbestos, smoked pack a day for thirty five years...

(crosses fingers)

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Bedlam

And it's sooooooo 'radioactive' the guy is bare-handing it.

If you're pulling a boost gas cartridge and it 'goes off', you just hold your breath for a few seconds and let it disperse. The biological impact even of [quite a bit] of it is near zero. You don't want to have that happen a lot. But it happens. Losing the tritium is more an ass pain, that stuff is pricey.

Check the lung cancer rate around Amarillo and Savannah for an indirect gauge.

originally posted by: intrptr
I used to bathe up to my elbows in trichlor in vapor degreasers in the PCB industry, soldered power supples...

I was around so much wave soldering machinery and hand soldering I ended up having a big lead, antimony and bismuth load, got chelated about 15 years back.

It's one of the few things chelation is actually good for. I got the mercury purge while I was at it. Nasty tasting crap.

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Bedlam

If I had to pick something to be exposed to, it would be tritium.

How a bout a nice X-ray or airline flight?

Art least when they are done the source is turned off and the exposure ends. As opposed to internalized sources that can't be turned off.

You'll pee off whatever tritium you're exposed to with a half life of about a week. And it's about the crappiest emitter there is. Radon is a lot worse.

Also you're filled with K-40. It's also a beta emitter. You're irradiating yourself, right now.

So far you haven't show one source for your claims. Nice try with potassium / banana gambit. Double background is hardly what I call a health risk.

Edit: On that level everything is 'radioactive', decaying natural due to entropy. Man made radioactive sources in earths biosphere are not naturally occurring nor are they safe...

...as far as these manufactured products they all begin with uranium ore sequestered in ore in mines, until humans mine it, refine and make bombs or reactors that leak, explode, intentionally or not.

originally posted by: intrptr
So far you haven't show one source for your claims. Nice try with potassium / banana gambit. Double background is hardly what I call a health risk.

This is all CBOK stuff. What exactly would you like for me to prove?

You said ANY radioactive source was deadly. Well, you're full of one. Not counting background radiation, which is always there.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: intrptr
This is a steel post, look at the threaded portion, it is eroded.

That sight is ancient, who knows what type of conditions it experienced.

It was irradiated.

originally posted by: intrptr
It was irradiated.

Tritium does not produce rays that can cause corrosive effects in metal. Try again.

I love, love, love when you make things up.

a reply to: Bedlam

You said ANY radioactive source was deadly. Well, you're full of one. Not counting background radiation, which is always there.

There is no safe minimum dose.

Sources of ionizing radioactive materials are harmful when internalized, i.e., inhaled or ingested. You're talking about external sources when you cite "background radiation", i.e., energetic particles that come from outside and pass thru you. They are also potentially harmful but not as harmful as internal sources, especially alpha emitters that became incorporated into the bodies bone or connective tissues, sit there irradiating nearby cells.

Disingenuous comparing fruit to tritium or internal sources vs. "background".