I am just speculating, but I used to treat a lot of children with lead poisoning. It does not take a lot of lead. It is just that I imagine that soft lead accelerating at a high rate of speed in contact with sharpened steel rifling probably scrapes off a tiny quantity of lead that is discharged into the turbulent air in front of the muzzle. where a small portion falls back on the barrel itself. I worry that Ted and his family, or his imitators, will be poisoned. Some may wonder if that indeed is the explanation for his behavior.
if I was strongly encouraged, I would probably get some qualitative or even quantitative lead testing kits and check a few random gun barrels. it may be that the people who spend their time trying to prevent lead poisoning in children can use this advertisement to publicize the dangers and even small amounts of lead in paint chips.
An AR-15 bullet is about 62 grains=5 grams. If 0.01% is scraped off and 1% of that landed on the barrel and was absorbed in a piece of bacon it would contain 5 micro-grams, a significant but likely not terribly dangerous level. But my assumptions may be way low. I do not think that this has been tested.
Follow below the Orange muzzle flash if you want to read about lead poisoning
There is no known biological role for lead in the human body. this CDC says that "There are approximately half a million U.S. children ages 1-5 with blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), the reference level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated.No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body"
Lead is known to cause damage to brain cells even at very low doses. Back in the 1970s we thought that a level of 40 was safe; now we monitor children if in screening they are found to have a level of 5.
I can testify that Lead poisoning is not pretty. At high levels, children are irritable, screaming, crying, with abdominal pain and they are never comfortable. The treatment is unpleasant(but is an appropriate use of chelation therapy which is otherwise very popular in the "alternative health" community). These children lose intelligence and can have a number of complications they can cause death.
Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources include contaminated air, water and soil. Adults who work with batteries, do home renovations or work in auto repair shops also may be exposed to lead.
In children, other symptoms include
-Developmental delay
-Learning difficulties
-Loss of appetite
-Weight loss
-Sluggishness and fatigue
-Vomiting
-Constipation
-Hearing loss
-joint pain
Adults tend to also get
-High blood pressure
-Muscle pain
-Declines in mental functioning
-Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
-Headache
-Memory loss
-Mood disorders
-Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
-Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women
The brain, nerves and kidneys I think take the biggest hit. The brain and nerves do not recover well.