TargetTalk

I wanted to ask those that use the Champion or Knobloch style shooting glasses if they had concern about eye protection.
Most normal shooting glasses offer full protection and sideshields to protect the eyes. The Knobloch style have a small lense or diopeter hanging from a post with no protection from flying brass or if a case blowout occured.
Please let me know if I am missing something.

Paul in WNY

Not for me.

I use Varga glasses for pistol and rifle without any major concerns.

For pistol shooting, using them with the eye blind gives some protection to both your eyes. Short of using a 44mag with something like 2400 powder, which have a reputation for blowing cylinders and tops, not a concern for the calibers I shoot. I use a baseball cap to protect from cases getting between the glasses and my eyes.

Rifles, I shoot full power target .308 and 7.5mm with no concerns, but do not touch pistol powders or reduced loads in rifle calibers. I make sure only the caliber of ammunition I have at hand is the right one for that rifle. I did once have an incident where a 308 made it into 8x57 semiauto magazine.
I do love shooting Ross rifles too.

This issue has also been a concern for me. I use Champion Olympics with a Knobloch lens holder for all open sights, including hardball. I have yet to find out about a safety glasses that accepts a shooting prescription lens, and also has slim temples to work with my ear muffs.

Hardball is not my only concern. I have seen a .22 round blow up a Hammerli 215 or 208 not sure which. I have been right next to a former Olympian whose 1911 38 spcl blew. I even felt that. Then there are the revolvers with destroyed cylinders and frames. Worst case was a deer rifle that blew and we took the shooter to the hospital. He recovered, the rifle did not. This is over 45 years at our range.

I am also concerned about liability on a public range if a shooters equipment injures a bystander in the case of a blow up.

I have been using Knobloch's for 20 years and I do think about it. I am not concerned since I know my equipment and do my own loads when shooting .45. I have often thought about using 2 lens holders so the non-aiming eye is also blocked by more than just a small piece of plastic. This is an option I have considered more since I have been shooting more BE in the last few years.

If you did want the extra protection you could buy some Oakley frames like the M-frame style and have a Px lense inserted behind it. Not sure how the system works if you want to change from a tinted lens to a clear. Then you will have to come up with a method to block your non aiming eye if you choose to. I know the Oakley lens pass the ANSI Z87 standards that safety glasses have to pass.