Safety Glasses for Shooting
Can You See Clearly Now?
This article was written by Brigid, a
woman who lives in the midwest and writes the Mausers and
Muffins blog. Brigid writes a delicious blog full of
wonderful recipes and beautiful prose describing the world around her. Oh, and she also
blogs about guns -- and she knows what she's talking about when she does! After you
read this article, surf past her blog and enjoy more of her writing. You'll be glad you did!
~ Kathy
PS The original blog post, complete with reader comments, is found here: -Clicky!-
When you're at the range you need to see clearly. You also have to watch
for things that can damage your eyes. Wind, sun and dust are always eye
irritants. A piece of hot brass in the eye would be more than irritating.
I used to hunt without glasses until I got a splinter of a tree branch
in my eye while getting into a tree stand. No lasting damage, but a very
painful injury that came close to wrecking my eyesight.
Occasionally you'll see folks at the range who just wear their regular
sunglasses or prescription glasses. Those are certainly better than nothing,
and some of the wrap around ones and larger styles I've seen have nearly
the same coverage area as glasses designed for shooters. But if you shoot
with sunglasses or other glasses that barely cover the eye itself, or
due to improper fit, they hang down on your nose, you risk a hot round
going where you don't want it. I've done the "hot brass in the bra" dance
before. Getting that near the eye would be no fun.
Experienced shooters have learned what works for them. This post is geared
for those who are new to shooting, just picking out a pair. Why? Because
there are 35+ different brands on the market today, and each brand has
many models. That's why I wear pretty much the same thing to work every
day. I really don't want to spend an hour picking out what to wear. And
shopping for me is the same thing. I research it online, talk to people
who know what is good, then make a beeline to the store, grab what I need
and get out. In and out in 10 minutes is my goal, with as much loot as
I need for the month in that time. I learned my shopping techniques from
past generations of Vikings on my grandma's side.
There are some questions you should ask. Clear? Tinted? Prescription or
something to go over your glasses? Interchangeable lenses? Lawnmower Pale
Ale or IPA (sorry. . wrong question).
And what the heck is an "impact resistance rating?"
Actually, it's one of the most important considerations you should have.
Color, fit and style, and protection are all important, but it doesn't
matter if the glasses themselves won't protect the eyes. Impact resistance
ratings are generally standardized through agencies or organizations such
as Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OHSA), American National
Standards Institute (ANSI), and the U.S. Military. These standardized
rating provide the minimum recommended impact resistance for safety based
lens. Here is the rating information from each group if any of you are
into such bits of information:
- OHSA Safety Standard 1910.133(a)(2) requires impact resistant lens AND
"eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard from
flying objects."
- ANSI standards for impact resistance are outlined in article Z87.1 and
Z87.3. These standards were provided to ANSI by the American Society of
Safety Engineers (ASSE) and specifically focus on eye safety.
- U.S. Military - The U.S. Military uses a testing standard called MIL-V-43511C,
which is a .22 caliber ballistics impact test. U.S. Military eyewear must
pass this standard before being issued to any U.S. military personnel.
I can't say that I've always shot with glasses that met those
specs. One or two of the "rental" glasses at indoor ranges were dubious
at best. But if I had to buy a pair I'd make sure they met one of these
standards.
Color. Look, it's not a fashion show. You don't need
to coordinate your eyewear to your outfit, though I've seen that. But
I don't have a pink gun either. The colors of the lens are more than fashion,
they actually impact how you view your range. If you click on this picture
you can see it larger. Here's the difference between clear and yellow
on a winter day. The glasses used are those pictured down below.
- Gray, Gray-Green, and "smoke" tints. These tend to be
the most abundant colors, effective at blocking glare without changing
your color perception, which makes them a good "all weather" choice. If
you're going to have just one pair, this might be your favorite color.
Grey is a neutral that allows the wearer to see colors just as they are.
They don't enhance the target but they are good in bright sunlight. I
shoot almost always outdoors and this color works well there.
- Amber-Brown lens tints. These are especially good at
blocking the blue light commonly found in diffused light such as one might
find on a cloudy day. Amber improve both contrast and depth perception.
- Yellow or Orange tints. These colors give you a sensation
of heightened visual acuity. Tjhey are common as driving lenses. Lenses
in these hues block haze and blue light and will enhance the orange color
of the target. If you're shooting at night, the bright yellow tint may
also be useful.
- Purple-"Vermillion" tints. Sorry manufacturers, you can
call it vermililon until the cows come home and it's still "pink". However,
this color range WILL enhance the orange of the target against a background
of tall trees. "Vermillion" itself is useful to highlight conditions where
there is a poor background, such as trees, and to enhance the target against
that background. One of those love or hate tints, you might like them
or find they take some time getting comfortable with.
Then there is just clear. I have those. I shoot at a range that's outdoors
but mostly covered and they work just fine.
There are also glasses with interchangeable lens. I haven't tried them
so can't offer any advise as to how well they hold up, but they are increasing
in popularity in sales.
Just one important note: Tint doesn't necessarily mean UV protection.
A darker lens doesn't guarantee more protection for the eye from the sun.
There are three types of UV rays (I'm a very very fair skin redhead, I
know my UV rays).
- UVC - The atmosphere filters UV-C, not a real concern.
- UVA - The cause of sun related drug reactions.
- UVB - This type of UV is responsible for sunburn, prolonged eye damage,
and many forms of skin cancers. It can penetrate thin cloud layers and
up to three feet of water. This is the one that will do the greatest damage
to eyes. Just like to the skin, the damage may not be obvious, but may
be cumulative.
You will want a pair of shooting glasses that absorb at least 99% of UV
radiation. You'll see that noted on the packaging with something like
this:
"Meets ANSI UV requirements!"
"Blocks 99% or 100% of UV rays"
"UV absorption up to 400nm"
"Improved - Now with BACON!" (OK, wishful thinking)
Don't rely on the tint of the lens. Any good Polycarbonate lens will block
or absorb UV rays well, even in the clear form.
That goes to the next question: What TYPE of lens material?
The previously mentioned Polycarbonate is one of those types that is usually
recommended by professionals. It has a higher impact rating than Crown
Glass and is MUCH lighter. It also has a higher impact resistance rating
than CR39 plastic with no appreciable trade off in weight. Crown Glass
and CR 39 Plastic offer little or no UV protection.
I wear glasses. I have clear disposable contacts for off work days, but
I understand the expense and trouble of getting prescription glasses that
are custom in nature. Not all manufacturers of shooting glasses can be
made with prescription lenses. There go some of your choices there. The
brands that do have designs that will accept a prescription lens tend
to be on the high side of the pricing levels so you will end up paying
more for the frame. It may well be a VERY good frame, but it's still more
expensive. Most prescription shooting classes have to be custom made by
an optometrist or other eye care professional. So you may pay not just
more for the frame, but the custom making. Another consideration - most
of the prescription lenses are not made from the Polycarbonate, but from
the cheaper CP39 plastic. So you are paying top dollar for what might
not have been your first lens material choice and you may take a hit on
UV protection, depending on how they are made.
These glasses may end up costing as much as that first spouse. Is it worth
it?
For myself, I'd consider it if I could not wear contacts and had to fit
my shooting glasses over my prescription glasses. I was just never comfortable
shooting with a large pair of shooting glasses over my prescription glasses.
But there are other, less expensive, options. It's a relatively new concept
called "prescription inserts." Basically they are prescription lenses
that are designed to mount inside of the glasses between the eyes and
the glasses lens. They look something like the image to the left.
It's a pretty new concept and if any of you have tried them, please let
us know. ESS Shooting Glasses (pictured) came recommended though I haven't
tried them myself, as I wear my contacts when I shoot. They are about
a third of the cost of a Oakley prescription set up (one brand that I
have used and was quite pleased with, though the price was a bit much).
For more detailed information on shooting glasses and this type go to:
www.shooting-glasses-guide.com.
Lastly - look for "fit". It's vital the lens adequately
cover enough of the eye area to provide proper protection. This is especially
important for the side areas of the eye. Look for shooting glasses with
lenses that wrap around past the sides of the eye for complete coverage.
The frame material should be something lightweight, which will make a
noticeable difference in their comfort. There's plastic, aluminum, titanium.
Whatever they're made of, look for adjustable frames or flexible temples,
so you can fine tune your glasses to your face. Flexible temples can allow
you to wrap around your ear in a "cable" style to help keep the frame
in place and the tips of the temples may feature little rounded ends for
even greater comfort. Nose pads are nice so the glasses rest comfortably.
So you're saying "that's all well and good Brigid but I don't want to
spend $50 or more on shooting glasses." There are other options.
I'm sure there are many that will disagree, but most (not all) safety
glasses also make decent shooting glasses. There are some good UV protected
safety glasses with high impact resistance available for a quarter of
the price of some big name shooting glasses. I have a couple pairs of
them as "spares" for shooting with a house guest with no gear, or just
to have as a back up. They're cheap, they do the job well and they do
demonstrate that not all safety glasses are chintzy. A pry bar was taken
to this old pair (the neighbors are watching. . . better wave, they've
been looking at me funny since I dropped the bodily fluid clean up kit
by the mailbox). WHACK! WHACK! The lens remains intact. Damaged, but not
cracked. These guys were TOUGH.
Smith and Wesson makes a good pair of safety glasses/shooting glasses.
Less than one ounce, polycarbonate, wraparound lenses and 99.9% UV protection.
Hinge stops, temple tips and nose piece, platinum frames. The glasses
exceed ANSI Z87.1 performance standards. Less than $18. There are others
of the same quality for less and I'm sure the readers will appreciate
your suggestions in the comments.
As I've always said. Do your homework, watch and ask. What works for one
shooter may not be your favorite. Just protect your eyes. For
night or day, sometimes things go flying around.
