Shooting glasses vs. safety glasses

[RandomShotz]

A poster on another thread mentioned that the RO at the range at which he was trying to shoot FP told him he needed to wear safety glasses since the shooting glasses do not provide sufficient eye protection. I have wondered about this myself and a quick search through TargetTalk did not come up with any answers.

I haven't noticed safety glasses in photos of FP and AP competitions, and it seems that many competitors don't even have the protection of an occluder over their off eye. None of the RO's at the range I shoot at have ever said anything to me, even before I became a regular. What do the ISSF rules say about this? What are the rules at the various ranges that you all use?

Thanks

Roger

[David Levene]

What do the ISSF rules say about this?

Rule 6.2.1
ISSF Rules state only specific safety requirements which are required by the ISSF for use in ISSF supervised Competitions / Championships. Necessary and special safety regulations for ranges differ from country to country. For this reason no details are stated within these Rules. The safety of a shooting range depends to a large extent on local conditions, so additional safety rules may be established by the Organizing Committee. The Organizing Committee must know the principles of range safety and take the necessary steps to apply them. The Organizing Committee bears the responsibility for safety. Juries, Range officials, team officials and shooters must be advised of any special regulations.

Rule 6.2.4 Eye Protection
All shooters are urged to wear shatterproof shooting glasses or similar eye protection while shooting.

[john_almighty]

The shooting range in India where I shoot would make you wear safety glasses in the section where semi auto was used as they were very concerned with hot cases being ejected. All the free pistol shooters always used the same section as rifle shooters (non-auto). luckily in this range, people take olympic shooting very seriously and accomodate each other. But the rules were clear and made sense - if you are shooting near people who are using self ejecting shells, you have to wear safety glasses.

In UK, where I shoot, there is no hard fast rule about it.

Personally, I would feel very worried shooting next to someone who is busy ejecting hot shells in all directions without safety glasses. I would hate to think what one of those could do to your eyes if you get hit.

[Rover]

Having had many a hot case stick to my sweaty skin, I can only imagine what that would feel like on a wet eyeball.

I use safety glasses when shooting with a red dot, but Champion glasses with occluder for other matches.

I've also been on the range when a gun blew up and when there were head bursts from defective .22 rounds. Not fun!

[ShootingSight]

I make and sell Z87+ safety glasses that have either a +0.50 or a +0.75 corrective lens in them, so there is an option for shooting/safety glasses. The 0.50 are really for rifle shooters, but the 0.75 are pretty ideal for pistol, as long as your eyes do not need any help seeing distance. So for non-glasses wearers they work, if you need glasses to see distance, they do not.

I only make those two powers today, though if there is demand for +1.0, I might do that as well. These are made in quantity, so they are not customizable.

As to shooting with safety glasses - I also recommend a hat with a brim. I've had a case flip back and fall between the safety glasses and my face. Now the safety glasses were trapping the hot case against my eyelid. I was shaking my head pretty violently (while keeping a loaded pistol in my hand pointed downrange) trying to get that feller out of there. Scary how bad that scenario could have gone.

So as safety equipment, I now always wear a brimmed hat.

[RandomShotz]

As to shooting with safety glasses - I also recommend a hat with a brim. I've had a case flip back and fall between the safety glasses and my face. Now the safety glasses were trapping the hot case against my eyelid. I was shaking my head pretty violently (while keeping a loaded pistol in my hand pointed downrange) trying to get that feller out of there. Scary how bad that scenario could have gone.

I never thought of that. In the shop I have had a hot metal chip flip up and under my safety glasses a couple of times, but never considered the possibility of a threat from above.

Right know I shoot almost exclusively at an indoor range with dividers between the lanes. Cases have occasionally flown back into my space, but by the time they've bounce around they're not very hot. I can't see how any of the safety glasses that fit over normal prescription glasses would be anything but clumsy and uncomfortable, so if I ever shoot at an outdoor range, I'll wear a cap and plastic shields like the ones I wear at work:

http://tinyurl.com/cuef9ju


But I find it interesting that the ISSF just "urges" shooters to wear eye protection and has no specific rule other than local rules apply. In the context of their rationale, it makes sense but it is a bit surprising nonetheless.

Roger

[Brian M]

I've also been on the range when a gun blew up and when there were head bursts from defective .22 rounds. Not fun!

I grew up shooting rifle and I'm pretty sure I'd be blind in my right eye right now if it weren't for safety glasses thanks to a defective 22lr shell that expelled the gasses back into my face. Not quite the same concern with pistol, but old (very strictly ingrained) habits die hard. Not that I see any benefit to going without glasses (and hearing protection) when on any range.

I'm too cheap for "real" shooting glasses, so I have safety glasses with a custom prescription (+.50 was far better for me than +.75, and a little better than the +.63 middle ground).