Obvious value of safety glasses

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hso

hso

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qoJsn1LLPU&feature=related

The slide comes off in that one and hits the shooter in the forehead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh1lyMyejpI&feature=related

The AR blows the magazine apart and blows some of the debris into the shooter's face. (language warning after the explosion)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meUmkpFIGIw

The shotgun blows apart in this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRKP1OkR1fA&feature=related

The bolt stays in place, but his barrel splits in this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDPz4ODYsnw&feature=related

And, finally, we see that you don't even have to be the one shooting to find safety glasses important.

What's the point of all this? Regardless of what shooting activity you're engaged in protecting your eyes is important regardless of how rare such accidents are.
 
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I've been hit in the face enough times by blowback from the chamber that I'll never risk shooting without. I don't understand people who don't wear some sort of eye protection. Eventually, you'll find out why you should.

The last one where the guy's shooting the Texas Star and a ricochet hits the assisting individual, is an example of something I always wonder about when shooting steel. I've never been hit, but I know it happens.
 
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I was at a local indoor range about 6 months ago (haven't been back since), and I was hit by a ricochet. I was wearing cargo shorts, and the bullet hit me on on the fatty part of the thigh covered by the thick cargo short material. It didn't do any serious damage and the bullet did not penetrate my shorts, but it did sting a bit and it drew a small amount of blood, and the next morning there was a real nasty, big, dark bruise that lasted for a couple weeks.

Luckily, since I was hit in the fatty part of my thigh there was no real injury (other than a bruise) and I didn't lose any sleep over it - but had that hit me in the face w/o safety classes it could have been pretty bad.

When a second ricochet came flying back a few minutes later, I brought it to one of the employees and explained what happened and he was utterly unconcerned. I left, and like I said I haven't been back to that range since.
 
I was shooting an SKS after being told (before leaving) that I wouldnt need glasses. 1st round I shoot launches a shell into the lens and leaves a scratch, right in front of my eye. It might not have hit my eye, but nonetheless, I obviously had the right idea wearing eye protection.
 
I can do you one better. I was qualifying on my M4, and (stupidily) wasn't wearing any eye pro. I kept getting hit by brass from the guy next to me, and thought "I really should be wearing eye protection." But I didn't do anything about it. Until the next piece of brass flew out and hit me in the eye. No damage or anything, but I immediately got up and put on my glasses.
 
A month ago I saw a .22 fire out of battery for the first time, a surprisingly loud bang followed by a few moments of extreme silence as everyone, shooter included, waited for the shooter to make sure they still had their eyes.

Then two weeks ago the same thing happened to me, a tiny little .22 feels like a fistful of sand when it sprays lube, lead, powder and assorted other debris in your face.

I always wear glasses, but it made me very glad that I'd decided to switch from sunglasses to safety glasses moments before, even if it was just a .22.
 
I've never had any close calls with shooting and my eyes (knock on wood). But,
I'm a forester who occasionally gets to fight wild fires.
PPE is part of everyday life in firefighting.
I was working on some ground fire. Ground fire is organic soil (the ground is not mineral dirt) that's caught on fire and burns like a cigar. The only way to put it out is to keep squirting water on it...and squirting more water on it...and then doing it again.
The problem with ground fire is it will burn below the surface at very high temps. Sometimes you spray water through the upper unburnt soil and when water hits the hot spot, the water instantly vaporizes and blows chunks of burning charcoal and mud out of the ground.
I had that happen big time; I got peppered all over my face and neck and looked like I had been shot with bird shot. It hurt.
I still have small burn scars on my neck.

Anyway, the moral of the story is my eyes still work because I was wearing my safety glasses. I had to wipe mud off my glasses just so I could see through them, so I know that stuff would have been in my eyes without the glasses.
 
I've had brass hit my glasses and smacked in the arm with a jacket. Anytime moving metal (or any other material that could hurt) is involved protect your seein' orbs.

My dad related to me a story about when he was about my age (early 30's) using a wire wheel grinder in the shop. Hunk of wire came out and impaled itself in his eye. He ran into the washroom with a couple other mechanics in pursuit. It had already started rusting in his cornea. Luckily they got it out and got him to the doc and he's still got 20/15 vision (Wish I had gotten the eye genes from him! I had to have glasses, contacts, then lasik) but take the extra time to protect yourself every time.

I've started using my motorcycle shades on sunny days since they have felt lined eyecups that protect from things coming down from above. Hot brass doesn't feel good sitting inbetween your lower eyelid and safety glasses.
 
I wear prescription eyeglasses and so wearing Safety glasses over them is kinda awkward. I am sure there are prescription safety glasses? Would a place like Lenscrafters have them?
 
I will add that you should also wear glasses while cleaning or disassembling firearms. Splashes of solvent and flying spring-loaded parts are not at all good for eyes.


and Ya might wanna post a language warning on the AR-15 video...

I am sure there are prescription safety glasses? Would a place like Lenscrafters have them?
Click to expand...
I have a pair. I think most places have them--when I got mine I just went to my normal eye-doctor and told them I wanted prescription safety glasses. If you work in a manufacturing/production/mechanical type company you should check to see if your company has any special programs to encourage employees to wear safety glasses. Mine allows employees to purchase one pair of (very basic) safety glasses at no cost per year.
 
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hso said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh1ly...eature=related

The AR blows the magazine apart and blows some of the debris into the shooter's face.
Click to expand...

This video provides a few lessons in one:

1) Wear safety glasses.
2) Figure out what you are doing if you are going to reload... reloading is great if it is done right, and dangerous if it is done wrong.
3) Think twice before you shoot someone else's reloads!
 
I wear prescription eyeglasses and so wearing Safety glasses over them is kinda awkward. I am sure there are prescription safety glasses? Would a place like Lenscrafters have them?
Click to expand...

Yes, Lenscrafters offers saftey glasses and may handle single-vision prescriptions very well, but I'd avoid the discount stores for progressive lenses.

Do your homework on the internet and learn about lens materials options. Make an informed decision with regard to cost/strenght/weight/optics.

Good posts above. I feel vulnerable without glasses and most of you have probably had "near misses" with eye injury at some time or other. Having worked in manufacturing, construction, fabrication, labs as well as DIY projects -- I feel the need for eye protection is ever-present.
 
I have prescription safety glasses...the range here accepts them. The frames will have ANSI Z87.2 stamped into them. The sideshields, which are frame specific and optionally detatchable will have those markings as well. Depending on the optometrist, most will cut their initials in the upper outer corners of the lens to signify they are in fact safety lenses as well (you'll eventually not notice them).

Expect to pay a premium, but it's well worth it. Some of the better places offer lifetime sideshield replacments for the lifetime of the frame.
 
Even the Walmart optical subcontractor offers safety glasses, but an even less expensive route is to get inserts put into a pair of inexpensive safety glasses so that you can see your sights. Total cost is usually under $50.

Google "cheaters" and safety glasses for the least expensive version for simple near sightedness. For under $10 you can get bifocals in safety glasses.
 
I find that my Oakley M-Frame Sweep sunglasses work pretty well for most anything. They also "Exceed ANSI Z87.1 ratings".

Carpentry, yard work, driving, shooting, fishing, anything where I think eye protection is needed.

My friends laugh at me about being so anal about eye protection, but if they had one eye, they would understand.
 
I had not seen those videos before, so thanks for sharing. I always, always have my eyes and ears on when shooting. My Taurus PT908 loves to send brass right to the head, and I have had blowback from my SA XD40 more times than I can count. It only takes one good shot to the eye to make things pretty unpleasant (if not permanently so).
 
always wear eyes and ears. the price of practice and recreation will NEVER outwiegh my hearing and sight.
 
Yeah, if you've never tasted any backsplash, you haven't been shooting enough. Even in combat, I won't go without.

And as for the language, I will double check with my grandmother, but I think that if a gun blows up in your hands, you get like a five-second free cussing zone. She has the rule book.
 
DagoRed:

Just wear eye and hearing protection, and avoid fools.

Shooting is way safer than football, downhill skiing or driving on the freeway.
 
Jacket Fragment

When I first came to Idaho, I was introduced to one of the LFI-1 instructors, who kindly took some time to help me work out why I was having trouble grouping with my pistol.

He was wearing common prescription glasses. Had safety glasses only a few yards away.

Part way into the second magazine, a jacket fragment flew straight back, over the top edge of his glasses, and into his eye. At the time we thought it was flecks of powder. When I saw him the following morning, his eye was distinctly red and irritated. Turns out he had to detour to his opthamologist on his way to the LFI class, and the doctor removed a copper sliver from his eye, just outside the iris.

He used that incident in class that day to stress the importance of eye protection.

Moral: don't imagine that regular eyeglasses will be enough to protect your eyes.

 
It still happens with equipment

I treated a RSO who got hit in the eye with a hot 5.56 case, gave him a burn and bruise (black eye)

(Military) he was safetying a left hand shooter on a moving range / pivot shoot lane for advanced fires, he was looking down as the soldier took a kneeling shot and the case flew right over the top of his glasses and pegged him in the eye.

He was fine but it was used as a reminder to practice safety and not stand in the ejection path.
 
i was shooting a glock 23 at a steel target from about 20ft and kept getting sprayed by lead on my legs and shirt went and put my shades on and next thing i know a hunk of the bullet hit me in the ear and sliced my ear open if it had been 2 inches overthat woul have been my eye
 
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