Author Topic: Shooting glasses?  (Read 1816 times)

Offline GunAngel

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Shooting glasses?
« on: September 06, 2011, 09:48:57 PM »
Are shooting glasses reliable in airsoft games? I went to sporting goods stores and all of the packaging for shooting glasses says "DO NOT use it for paintball and airsoft." but they have ballistic proof certifications (ANSI Z something something).

Offline ThatGuy

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2011, 10:18:13 PM »
I use glasses but most fields require sealed eye protection . Gearbox has what you need.
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Offline spazz

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2011, 11:40:45 PM »
if you are over 18 and not playing on a p.2.p field, or at one of the national or paid events that are hosted here, you may use shooting glasses at your own risk. i have used them for years with no bad insidents. but fully sealed units are the only way to prevent possible injury to your eyes. gearbox has them for a good price.
but heed this warning. if you end up getting shot in the eye or lose a tooth because you were useing bad or ill fitting equipment. no one is going to feel sorry for you. if you are old enough to make the decission, you are old enough to live with the concequences.

but to answer your question yes shooting/saftey glasses can be used for airsoft. but it is not condoned because they dont protect from the side or rear and as such you are more at risk for damage to the eye to accur.

if you insist on useing shooting/saftey glasses for play then this may be of help:



ANSI Standards for Safety Eyewear
Updated ANSI safety eyewear standards include the following key features:

For the basic impact tests, lenses are tested separately (not mounted in a frame). For the high impact classification, the frame and lenses are tested together as a unit.
Non-prescription lenses used for high impact testing are considered to be structurally weaker than prescription lenses made of the same material; the prescription lenses are generally thicker.
Thinner prescription safety lenses are now allowed, if they meet the high impact testing requirements. (Previously, all prescription safety lenses had to have a minimum thickness of 3 mm, making them significantly thicker and heavier than regular eyeglass lenses.)
Safety lenses now have two classifications of performance: basic impact and high impact.
The "drop ball" test determines the basic impact safety classification for lenses. In this test, a one-inch diameter steel ball is dropped onto the lens from a height of 50 inches. To pass, the lens must not crack, chip or break. All glass safety lenses must undergo this test. For plastic safety lenses, however, only a statistical sample of a large batch of lenses needs to be tested.
In high impact testing, a high velocity test is performed by shooting a quarter-inch diameter steel ball at the lens at a speed of 150 feet per second. To pass, the lens must not crack, chip or break, and it must not become dislodged from the lens holder.
How To Assess Ratings of Safety Eyeglasses and Goggles

This mark may be applied to any prescription lens of the same or greater thickness (at the thinnest point of the lens), made of the same material by the same manufacturer and with the same coating(s) applied.

"V" and "S" marks. Other lens markings that appear on safety lenses are "V" (indicating the lens is photochromic) and "S" (indicating the lens has a special tint). In some cases, a number may also be marked on a shaded safety lens to indicate how much light transmittance is reduced by the tint.

Shaded safety glasses for use when working with molten metal and in soldering, brazing, cutting and welding operations have tint densities that can range from 1.5 to 3.0 (mild to moderate shade for torch soldering) up to 10 to 14 (very dark shades for electric arc welding).

All safety lens markings must be permanent. If lenses do not meet the high impact standard, a warning label that can be removed only by the wearer must be affixed to prescription safety eyewear.

Testing of Frames for Safety Eyeglasses and Goggles
Frames for safety glasses are tested using the same criteria whether they will be used in basic impact or high impact applications. Frame tests include:

High mass impact. In this test, a one-inch diameter steel projectile weighing 17.6 ounces is dropped through a tube from a height of 50 inches onto a safety lens mounted in a frame. The frame is "worn" by an artificial head form. To pass, the frame must fully retain the lens, and no piece can become detached from the inner surface of the frame component that holds the lenses.
Durability. Safety frames must also pass a flammability-resistance test, a corrosion-resistance test and other durability tests.
High velocity impact. This test involves shooting a quarter-inch steel ball at the lens and frame at a velocity of 150 feet per second from a distance of just under 10 inches. The test is repeated multiple times (each time with a new frame and lens) at different angles and positions of impact. The pass criteria are the same as for the high mass impact test.
How To Assess Standards for Frames Used in Protective Eyewear
Non-prescription safety eyewear with non-removable lenses must be permanently marked with the manufacturer's trademark and "Z87" (basic impact) or "Z87+" (high impact) on either the front of the frame or on one temple.

Prescription safety frames must be permanently marked with the manufacturer's trademark and "Z87-2" on the front of the frame and on both temples.

For complete information, you can purchase a copy of the ANSI Z87.1-2003 safety eyewear standard at the American National Standards Institute website.

these same rules also apply to the tactical eyewear that most people use to protect thier eyes.
and to clarify the 1/4 inch steel ball that they use for the high impact testing is approximatly the same size as the bb's that we use but about 5 times the weight (just a guess as i dont have any or a scale to compare).

i hope this helps answer your question.
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Offline ThatGuy

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2011, 11:44:39 PM »
Damn spazz write a book lol  I think a short answer would have been best lol
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Offline gunny77

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2011, 11:47:27 PM »
Ya what he said ^^^ lol. Damn spazz I though he was just looking for a simple answer but way to bust out an entire speech lol. If ur not educated on eye protection now u should probley give up on life
« Last Edit: September 06, 2011, 11:49:13 PM by gunny77 »
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Offline GunAngel

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2011, 01:07:03 AM »
Nice. Thanks for the replies. Goggles seem to be a more practical choice now. I'll check them out at Gearbox. I can imagine BBs punching on the thin lens of shooting glasses won't be very pleasurable to the eye and mind.

Offline spazz

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2011, 08:12:14 AM »
i just figured that since shooting/saftey glasses and balistic eye wear go through the same tests, that some people might be interested in what kind of impact they can handle and what the markings stand for. and the majority was copy/paste from osha, i didnt type it. if i did it probly would have gotten all screwed up.
oh and if you get Z87+ rated lenses they arent very thin. i have shot mine from 6inches with a gun shooting 450+ and it barely made a dent, and no cracks at all.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2011, 08:21:11 AM by spazz »
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Offline Shadow

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2011, 11:29:54 AM »
Coming from personal experience, you can never be too careful when it comes to your eyes.  Make sure the space between your face and the edge of the glasses is absolutely minimal, if not sealed.

Your best option is to get something that is fully sealed, not just ANSI rated shooting glasses.

To quell up the curiosity, I was struck in the top of my eyelid just under my eyebrow even while wearing my glasses, shooting glasses and a baseball hat.  The shot came from such an extreme angle that it passed through the 1" space between the brim of the hat and the top of the glasses and ricocheted into my eyelid.  Needless to say, I was lucky the one-in-a-million shot didn't do any severe damage.

So in short, get something ANSI rated, but also pay attention to sealing your eyes.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2011, 11:34:05 AM by TPA_shadow »
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Offline Paradox

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2011, 12:13:05 PM »
With what Shadow said, and not just tied to glasses. If you don't want a dental bill wear a mouth piece or some sort of face guard.
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Offline Uchiha Itachi

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2011, 07:42:24 PM »
Do you know how many times I've seen shooting glasses fall off? Or how many times they've been knocked off by multiple rounds? You prepare for the worst case scenario when it comes to safety. I personally wear paintball goggles due to them being built to those standards and dual lenses for anti-fogging.

As Paradox said you also want mouth protection. Loosing teeth does happen and having open sores on your face isn't a fun thing to have. I wear a Mesh lower that has saved me quite a few times. Well worth the whole $20 it cost.

Offline QCA_Airsoft3

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2011, 08:03:43 PM »
I've had experiences where saftey glasses are blown right off my face  :o . Sealed googles are by far much safer but saftey gogles are a little bit more comfortable. I have both and use both for different games.

Offline Ganef

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2011, 09:15:17 PM »
I almost always use shooting glasses, mostly because of fogging issues with goggles.

The best goggles I have found and the only ones I still have, reduce fogging and are "sealed" are bole T-800.
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Offline Shadow

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Re: Shooting glasses?
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2011, 09:12:51 AM »
The best goggles I have found and the only ones I still have, reduce fogging and are "sealed" are bole T-800.

Pick up a bottle of swimmer's drops.  Works perfectly as anti-fog.  I use it on my WileyX AirRage.
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