Safety Glasses - where does the risk stop?

[MarkGlazer]

I've been loading for just over two years now. I always wear safety glasses throughout the priming/power/bullet seating process (I process brass separately, have it stored and ready to load). Lately I've been wondering if the risk stops after I seat primers and can do away with the glasses. My motivation is the fact that I wear safety glasses over my regular glasses, kind of uncomfortable.

In the two plus years, I have never experienced any issues loading, no detonated primers, accidents, etc. I won't be arrogant enough to say I've perfected the process because I haven't. But I do take great care in the passion that I pursue. I do understand that anything can happen at any time. I'm simply hard pressed to see risk once the primer is seated.

Your thoughts?

[reynolds357]

I hate to give you this answer because it will give someone on here a heart attack. I only wear safety glasses when I am seating primers. No other time.

[DaleA]

I've always just ordered my glasses with hardened glass lenses. They ARE quite a bit heavier but since that's all I've ever had they aren't that uncomfortable for me. YMMV.

P.S. I've got a friend that went the full face shield route:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-90028-Profe...ty+face+shield

It looks goofy as anything but I tried it once and it is more comfortable than hooking safety googles over your glasses.

[Sport45]

I wear my safety glasses anytime I want to see.

Chris at safevision.net set me up with a pair that are stylish enough for everday wear. I just add the side shields when work policy (or good sense) requires.

That said, I believe any prescription glasses you can buy these days would be "good enough" for me to feel secure during any reloading operation. I believe the difference between safety glasses and regular glasses more in the frames than the lens.

[bungiex88]

I don't wear saftey glasses but when I prime with hand tool I look away

[imagunnut]

My $.02, your regular pair is better than nothing once primer is seated. I need reading glasses so I bought a pair of ballistic readers. They work great until I drop something on the floor, can't see a damn thing past a foot.

[Mike / Tx]

I load a TON of ammo in a year, just in the past two weekends alone I have put up over 2K rounds. It only takes one time to loose something you will regret forever. The choice to wear or not to wear is always just that, a choice.

Just remember, "IF" something happens, that it probably won't be by choice, and will you consider if your outcome has consequences as your own responsibility or will be the fault of someone else?

Do this little experiment. One weekend or evening after work, pick a REALLLY pretty day. Tape some gauze over one eye and wear it for an hour. Go outside and walk around looking at everything you normally would. Now same thing, only wearing the safety glasses. Which one was more preferable?

[603Country]

Once upon a time, I had a brain tumor. Didn't kill me, thank goodness. I had to use an eye patch for about a year, since both eyes didn't point in the same direction. That was all I needed to make me sure that I wanted to have both eyes as long as I live (and have them point in the same direction). These days I wear safety glasses for most everything, almost to the degree that I'd wear em when I brush my teeth. YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE AN EYE. Trust me on that. Both of mine work fine now, but it was a miracle that I got to keep them both.

Don't take those old, sometime bloodshot eyes, for granted. Wear the safety glasses. At the least, get some cool looking ones so you'll look good while reloading.

[mikld]

I always order my Rx gasses with shatterproof lenses. I normally only use my day to day specs. except when I'm casting (I have a pair of "work glasses" that have a tiny "spot" where molten lead splashed on them). Another thought, uncomfortable safety equipment can be unsafe. If your safety glasses over your Rx glasses bother you, are uncomfortable, ill-fitting, or dirty, they can distract you from the task at hand and cause problems. Another reason to keep your glasses clean, and your vision unimpaired...

[sicumj]

Ive been near sighted since early age so once I started shooting I wore glasses. I've had a couple close calls in shooting but one time during a reloading process ( pouring lead in bullet molds) I had the pot blow up in my face. Of course it blew me back and onto the floor knocking off my glasses. I had some second degree burns no eye brows and a little less hair. Upon picking up my glasses they were completely covered with lead. Completely. That was the first time I really considered the importance of eye protection. That was a long time ago but after that day I looked at having to wear these cursed glasses in a completely different way. I'm convinced I'd be blinded by that accident and I would not have had them on if it wasn't necessary to see. Take it for what its worth but tomorrow I'm sponcering a CCW class for my bride, daughter and son in law. I have 3 pair of brand new shooting glasses in my gun room to give to them tomorrow when they take their test. Darn it! I'm starting to sound like an old man.

[BigJimP]

The glasses I wear everyday ...are shatter resistant..not exactly safety glasses ....

..... but I'm with you, I don't think its a huge risk.

( there is no powder in a cartridge when you seat the primer )...and I don't try to deprime live primers...and if I pull a few bullets / I do wear a shatter proof face shield( that I have primarily for my woodworking on a lathe )....

Its not a reason not to wear glasses....but in 50 yrs of reloading...I've never detonated a primer seating them ( but part of the trick - is not to force them into the case either ).

[Metal god]

I wear my regular glasses as my safety glasses . I need a new prescription so next time I get glasses I'll get an extra pair for the reloading room . The ones I wear now are on the smaller size . My next pair for reloading will be much bigger in diameter .

I'm in construction and over the years I have learned the hard way they are very important . I also wear a second pair of prescription glasses as safety glasses for work . I pretty much rotate the glasses . Once my work glasses get to scratched up . I start using my general use glasses for work and go buy a new pair for every day wear .

Upon picking up my glasses they were completely covered with lead. Completely. That was the first time I really considered the importance of eye protection.

That reminded me of the time I learned how a car safety belt can save your life and maybe even the person sitting in the seat in front of you . Long story short . We hit a street sweeper that was sweeping the fast lane of the freeway Needless to say when we hit I remember thinking in the middle of the crash . WOW this seat belt is really the only thing keeping me from flying through the windshield . I literally could feel the space between me and the seat . I could tell that my butt and back were no longer making contact with the seat . All I felt on my body was the seat belt holding me in place . Very odd feeling .

Needles to say not wearing my seat belt in not an option for me. My buddy owns a cargo van that has only two seats . If he tries to pick me up with a friend with him . I insist on having the seat or I don't go . I know I look like a jerk but I don't care . Funny thing is I never told them the story . Only that I wont go unless I get a seat . lol

[Machineguntony]

It's not just the primers you have to be concerned about. A couple of years ago, I was fiddling with my press when a spring popped out and nearly hit me straight in the eye. Luckily, it hit me about an inch below my eye. Whether it would have caused damage if it hit my eye, I don't know. The spring is metal and potentially pointy, so it's possible. I don't intend to ever find out, so I wear glasses all the time now when reloading.

[oley55]

knock on wood at 60 I remain far sighted. That means safety glasses with near vision correction can be had for little cost. I even have a set of safety glasses that have near vision correction for reading and overhead work (basically trifocals with no correction at center).

check out http://safetyglasses.com/

[Average Joe]

I use safety glasses anytime I use a tool....cheap insurance for long lasting eyesight....

[9mmSkeeter]

I never wear safety glasses. I like to look good and they dont

[NevadaBob]

I wear safety glasses over my regular glasses AND hearing protection as well. I do this when hand priming. I had a primer go off once, didn't think I was exerting any undue pressure, and it made a believer out of me.

[skizzums]

Gotta admit I've never worn safety glasses. I try to do it as Mich as I can when shooting, but even then, when using scoped rifles can be near impossible. Guess its a choice you gotta make for yourself, obviously the intelligent and responsible answer is to wer them through the entire process. Since I am neither intelligent or responsible.....

Not primer related, but I was at the Lange sometime last year, and I rolled up my leather jacket, with some kind of faux fur on the inside, to use as a rest. My ar pistol had an obnoxious muzzle brake and incinerated the inside of the jacket blowing all kinds of junk into my eyes. Took many days before that crap got outta my eyes, I have mostly been pretty good about eye safety, at least while shooting, since then.

[rdtompki]

I have shooting glasses that are focused at 24" (for handguns). This turns out to be a great distance for my reloading tasks. I normally wear progressives, but my prescription just doesn't work well on the bench.

[4runnerman]

After reading here I think I need to do some soul searching. I have never wore safty glasses, shooting or reloading. I am forced to wear them at work when I leave my desk and go out in the shop. They fog up all the time and make me sweat. Sounds silly but they do.

[Clark]

I wear safety glasses for running end mills on the mill, the lathe, the weed eater, the router, the planar, biking, chiseling concrete, spray painting, and target practice.

I do not wear safety glasses for the table saw, chiseling wood, pounding nails, the drill press, the band saw, reloading or hunting.

I was taken to the doctor when I was 14 for Lead I was pouring hitting a rain drop in a mould I made and then getting cast in the shape of my eyeball. The doctor removed the Lead, and I could see the shape of my eyeball. If were to pour Lead again, now 50 years later, I would wear safety glasses.

[DaleA]

I was taken to the doctor when I was 14---

Yikes! Did you recover fully?

[Jay24bal]

Like several here, I only wear them when priming brass.

Don't really see a need after that as nothing even comes near touching the primer.

[603Country]

Like I said earlier, living with just one eye (for a year) was no fun. And it made me think what life might be like if I lost the other one. That's when I got real protective of the one that was still working properly. And when I got the other one back in service, I stayed protective. Take them for granted at your risk.

[Clark]

DaleA
Quote:
I was taken to the doctor when I was 14---
Yikes! Did you recover fully?

Yeah my eyes were unhurt. The Lead coating was very thin. I went to school the next day, and Mr Bonathan, the 8th grade shop teacher first period beginning of the class, looked at my blotched face and asked if molten Lead blew up in my face. He MUST have heard a rumor... no way he could have figured that out from looking at me.