UPDATE: This post has been updated to underscore that gunsmoke captured in the video includes matter other than lead.

When The Oregonian/OregonLive was getting ready to launch the series "Toxic Armories," we searched for ways to vividly illustrate the problem we were covering.

Lead bullets and lead primers leave residue every time a gun is fired. Toxic lead dust collects on the floors of indoor shooting ranges. In National Guard armories, improper cleaning of the ranges allowed the dust to linger and spread, endangering soldiers and armory visitors alike.

Toxic Armories

Every time a soldier pulled the trigger inside a National Guard gun range, a bullet cast off bits of lead. The Guard's neglect allowed the toxic dust to spread outside the range, endangering families who attended weddings, school sleepovers and Cub Scout meetings in America's armories.

We've all seen guns fired, at least on screen. But who's witnessed the stuff that emerges from a weapon once the bullet's on its way?

First, it's important to note that much of what's visible in gunsmoke is vaporized gunpowder. The lead vapor itself is indistinguishable from the gray cloud. But we wanted to help readers to see what it looks like as this mixture forms.

We decided to rent a very high-speed camera capable of capturing just that, and then we made a date with an outdoor firing range in Vancouver. Whether you're someone who shoots guns or pictures, you're likely to enjoy watching the results.

For our camera, we selected a Vision Research Phantom v611. This camera is primarily geared towards research projects rather than film and television, although Vision Research's Flex 4k is famous for its performance in those venues.

The v611 has a maximum resolution of 1,280x800 pixels. The highest we shot at was 1,280x720 because that's a standard HD video size. At 1,280x720, the camera maxes out at about 6,900 frames per second (FPS).

The lower the resolution setting, the higher the maximum frame rate. We ended up shooting quite a bit at 640x360, which allowed us to hit a frame rate of around 25,000 frames per second.

For the weapon, our shooter used a Sig Sauer SP2022 .40 caliber S&W pistol. We fired mainly TulAmmo .40 caliber S&W 180-grain ammunition at a target 20 feet away. We also shot a few rounds of Blazer Brass .40 S&W caliber.

We also brought along a still camera: a Nikon D810 with an AF-S Nikkor 50mm F1.4G lens. We took pictures at a shutter speed of 1/8,000th of a second.

The session took the better part of a day. We've condensed the best images into one 4-minute video and in the slideshow here in this post.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive