Eye protection: Regular glasses okay?

[TheJellyFish]

I wear glasses and so far that's all I've used at the range. Do you guys think that's enough eye protection? Or should I buy some goggle type things?

[ClarkEMyers]

Coverage helps, impact resistance helps, fire and shock resistance helps. I'd think hard about getting impact resistant and full coverage with prescription lenses rather than stylish glasses . Lots of specialty makers to choose from. I've liked Decots in the past. Oakley, Zeiss and lots of shotgun specialists out there.

I've only known one person to actually lose an eye in a range accident -it must not be that common.

[38splfan]

Several places make glasses with polycarbonate lenses. I know Wal-Mart offers soome jobsite/industrial lenses with some impact resistance. The frames may not be stylish, but it's a small price to pay to keep both eyes.
As far as I know they can make them with most prescriptions.

Don't worry about style. Good lookin' glasses ain't so hot if you only have to wear half.

[jacketch]

I always use glasses that meet the Z87-1 spec for safety glasses. It will be somewhere on the glasses.

[BillCA]

Jellyfish,

It really depends on how much coverage your glasses provide. If you're wearing the current style glasses -- small round lenses with the bottom of the lens held by what looks like fishing line -- I'd get some clear safety glasses. There are plastic ones that will fit over prescription glasses which would probably be the most comfortable.

While your prescription lenses might save an eye from a direct hit, the real concern is that most prescription glasses won't adequately protect your eyes from indirect debris -- vented gasses from a blown case head; the lead shaved by the old revolver in the next lane; flying and ricocheting bits from another shooter's KaBoom.

Of all of these, it's the gasses that are the most likely to injure your eyes. I had a ruptured case head on a 30-06 once and could have been blinded except for the "aviator style" glasses I was wearing.

[Bob41081]

Form the Optician our family used when I was a kid. All prescription lenses are impact resistent. A non safety lense mustwithstand a 3/4" diameter ball droppped from 3 ft height in a tube and not shatter. A safety lense must withstand a 7/8" diameter ball. This was the late 1960's and I sure thing have probably tighted since then. So prescription lense won't hurt.

Bob

[dairycreek]

I wear glasses and so far that's all I've used at the range. Do you guys think that's enough eye protection? Or should I buy some goggle type things?

I have been shooting for a long, long time and have been wearing prescription glasses for an equally long time. My solution has been to wear prescription shooting glasses. They have pretty much looked like air force "pilot glasses" in that they cover a lot of the area around my eyes. Any place that makes prescription glasses can do the job. And, somehow, they have always managed to stay in style.