Do you wear eye protection when reloading?

[MCMXI]

OK ... my first POLL so I'll probably screw it up royally! I've been reloading since '92 and have never worn eye protection when reloading. Do you wear any form of eye protection when you're reloading? If you wear glasses so that you can see what you're doing, would you NOT wear them if you didn't need them. Have you had any near misses while reloading or actually encountered a situation where eye protection saved your eyes from certain damage?

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I use the "Classic" Lee Loader (with which you seat primers with rod and mallet) and after popping a few primers I not only wear reading glasses but also hearing protection. The more precautions I take, the more caution I take and popped primers are fewer and far between.

 

[sniper7369]

I only have two eyes and without them I wouldn't be able to shoot, so......
Not only that, but good eye protection is relatively cheap. ER visits, not so cheap.

 

[TX1911fan]

I usually only wear them during priming, but during that stage, I always wear them.

 

[bullseye308]

I wear prescription glasses that I paid for all the extras on. Scratch resistant, impact resistant, etc.... In the past I have had bullets come back and hit me and one I saw all the way to my cheek. When I got my glasses I discussed this with the optometrist and he got me what I needed. Not bullet proof, but close.

 

[KeithET]

I have to wear prescription glasses anyway so I automatically wear eye protection most of the time. But I would wear safety glasses if not for the prescription anyway. I don't want to jeopardize my sight at all.

KeithET

 

[Mal H]

Like Carl, when I reloaded with the Lee Classic, I would always wear safety glasses. You would never know when a primer was going to pop off - and they did. (That loader also gets you to understand that a primer isn't the high explosive device some think it is - they're dangerous for sure and precautions must always be taken, but they're not the killer some think.)

But nowadays my eyes require reading glasses to reload, so that's the eye protection I use. If I didn't need the glasses, I would wear safety glasses anyway same as when drilling, sawing, or doing anything which could result in parts or particles to go flying in my direction.

 

[RPCVYemen]

I bought a face shield - I find it more comfortable than goggles.

Mike

 

[MCMXI]

I have a couple of RCBS Rock Chucker presses that use a primer tube which according to some manufacturers (of reloading equipment) and some reloading manuals is an accident waiting to happen. To be honest, I don't know if primer tubes are inherently dangerous. I've never had any problems in 16 years of reloading but that may just be luck rather than design.

I usually only wear them during priming, but during that stage, I always wear them.

This is what I've been thinking of doing since I feel that this is the most likely time for something catastrophic to occur ... given that I have a "small pipe bomb" in front of me so to speak.

 

[SSN Vet]

the only time I don't ware eye protection, is when I'm asleep in bed (or not asleep in bed )

 

[Jayman]

I've set off a primer in the press before. No fragments hit me, but that one time was enough to convince me that wearing safety glasses during any priming operations was a REALLY GOOD IDEA.

 

[sublimaze41]

I use a 550b and never use safety glasses.

Whenever I hand prime with a Lee I
always use safety glasses.

 

[fitz47]

i have prescrition bi-focal progessive non glare photo grey safety glasses use for reloading,shooting and driving well worth the $350 investment we all have only two eyes

 

[lgbloader]

I wear them too. I let my son practice depriming and sizing and I have insisted that he ALWAYS wear eye protection. I can't be a hypocrite, can i?

LGB

 

[cavman]

I blew up my little primer catcher thing on my Dillon 650 when a primer must have been wrong side up when it was set off by the de-capper. Boom! Scared the B-jeezums out of me! Little blue shrapnel pieces were found on my carpet.

After that, you betcha!

 

[Idano]

Nope, never wore a pair of glasses, Safety, Prescription, Reading, or Sun while reloading in 35 years. Should I, probably, am I probably not. Don't get me wrong I would say I am either average or above average when it comes to being safety conscious. I always wear safety glasses when using the string trimmer, bench or die grinder, table saw, etc. Unlike power tools with flying debris I don't see the risk being that high. In 35 years I have never had a primer detonation while reloading nor have ever known anyone who personally encounter one them self or they have known someone who has, so I would say the odds are very low of occurring but I do realize they are not impossible. Up until 5 years ago all of my reloading was on a RCBS RC or JR with priming done on either on the press or with either the RCBS bench or hand priming tool. However, in the last 5 years I have used a Lee Loadmaster for 3 years and for the last 2 year a Hornady AP without any issues while still occasionally using my RCBS RC. This is one of those issues that I wouldn't harass you for wearing them and wouldn't fault you for not. Hell I even wear a bike helmet now, what's up with that; when we were kids there were no stinken helmets.

 

[qajaq59]

I was a printer who once got hit in my left eye with molten lead from a linotype machine.
Please wear the glasses. Things in your eyes that are hot and/or sharp hurt worse then you can even imagine. And they don't do much for your eye sight either. I know you'll probably never need them, but why take that chance?

 

[jjohnson]

Rx Glasses

Oh, yeah.

BTW, the poll design is okay if it's getting you the data you wanted without biasing it. You have some data in there like "I had an accident" that is an entirely separate question, though.

Anyway, I wear Rx glasses anyway - and they're "safety lenses," no side screens. I couldn't find my own rear end in the dark without the glasses, so no choices to make. I haven't had primers do anything strange on the bench, but I've had other stuff in my eyes, and I'm a believer in some protection. My shooting glasses do have the side panel protection - and have come in handy a couple times.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I have a pair of safety glasses with a dent from a primer anvil in the lens where my eye would've been. I always wear them.

 

[MCMXI]

BTW, the poll design is okay if it's getting you the data you wanted without biasing it. You have some data in there like "I had an accident" that is an entirely separate question, though.

I told you I'd screw up my first poll!! I could have done a better job of setting up the questions but I find the written responses interesting too. I think I'll be wearing eye protection during the priming stage from now on.

Thanks to everyone for your time and effort.

 

[Bush Pilot]

I don't do anything around firearms or reloading where I don't use eye protection. I might be paranoid, you've only got two eyes, take care of them.

 

[44Magnum]

I ALWAYS use eye protection - even when cleaning my guns. Anything that can dissolve copper and lead can't be good for your skin and eyes.

 

[- J -]

You know what pushed me into wearing eye protection? Having to study statistics and risk assessment for classes.

That's what REALLY taught me why thinking "I've never had a problem so far, thus I won't have it in the future" is such a wrong concept (although it's so easy to fall in it!).

"Unlikely" is not "impossible". Plus, there's a natural law that nobody can elude: "sh** happens"!!

 

[44Magnum]

That's what REALLY taught me why thinking "I've never had a problem so far, thus I won't have it in the future" is such a wrong concept (although it's so easy to fall in it!).

Yep. There's absolutely no valid logic in that argument whatsoever. I once had a carbide tooth from a tablesaw blade come off and embed itself into my safety glasses right in front of where my left eye was! Had I not been wearing my glasses I would probably be blind in one eye. Think it wasn't firearms related? Think again. The wood had a couple pieces of shot in it from some hunter before the tree was harvested. That's what knocked the tooth of the blade off. For a split second both of my hobbies merged into one very dangerous situation.