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A Review of the ESS ICE Eye Shields made specifically for me due to my need of Prism lenses for vision correction. About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with a muscle imbalance in my eyes after a routine eye inspection from Spec-savers, warranting the need to wear permanent glasses, I don't like contact lenses as a rule, finding them uncomfortable and personally awkward to insert and take out, So I opted for glasses and found a perfect pair for me..... However as an airsofter this posed a problem as I could no longer wear standard shooting glasses/goggles and didn't like wearing large mesh ones over my standard glasses as the fogging was horrific to the point I couldnt play properly and was always taking them off the clear the mist. After a little digging around on the forums and Google I came across a gentleman by the name of Andy Bourne, from http://www.tacticaloptician.co.uk/ , after a little phone call and several hundred emails together, Andy was able to produce the perfect solution for me in terms of Vision and Protection with the ESS ICE Eye Shields Quoted from himself as being .. This to me sounded fantastic as it was everything I was looking for, after a few more discussions about my prescription as well as several phone calls to Spec-Savers, Andy was able to produce these shields in a little under a week, to which they was delivered a day before a skirmish, allowing me to try them out instantly. The shields were fantastic, no fogging whatsoever, all day long they were as clear as crystal and did exactly was they was meant to .. taking several hits to the face during the afternoon they protected me perfectly without so much as a mark. The prescription inserts fitted perfectly with the nose piece Andy had supplied, they are secured firmly into the shields via a clip on the nose piece of the shields and are kept firmly in place with no wobble or slip .. something I was admittedly worried about. The Shields .. admitted were not cheap .. the total cost for everything Andy did was £90: ESS ICE 1 lens system (clear) £25 ESS Rx carrier £23.95 Single vision CR39 lenses £35 P&p £5.95 Total £89.90. As my prescription was somewhat different to normal vision correction lenses the cost of which was slightly higher, but Andy was fantastic throughout our conversations and was certainly the best person to talk to being a Military Optician, he was completely straight and honest with me from the start and delivered to his word everything he planned out. To summarize .. the Shields were made to a very high professional standard, they are fantastically durable, I have experienced no fogging whatsoever for the 3 times I have skirmished with them, they fit comfortably to the point you don't feel yourself wearing them, the prescription lenses for me are fantastic, just like wearing my standard glasses, coupled with a head strap for extra support they are simply fantastic and very much recommended to those needing prescription shields for Airsoft/Shooting Activities. Pro's Comfortable Excellent Ballistic Protection Minimal to No Misting/Fogging Professionally Made Excellent Customer Service Fast Service/Delivery Con's Price I have listed the price as the only con .. simply because for newcomer's to the sport, especially younger players, this is £100 extra you will have to find as well as the cost of everything else when starting up .... but, from my personal experience it will be the best £100 you ever spend on eye protection for the visually impaired. There are cheaper versions and granted they were considered first, but after speaking to Andy from Tactical Opticians I would not want to go anywhere else for my eye protection, a definite thumbs up from me. Andy Bourne BSc MCOptom www.tacticaloptician.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/AirsoftOptician

heroshark has just come out with another innovation, this time with blanks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSNeR_DcMSo&feature=youtu.be

I'm planning on getting a few more of those trip mines though, so once bitten twice fuck off and die...

Yeah I know, same here! £8 mine cost + P&P and I could've just used a bloody 12g blank, which I had some of anyway. Doh.

Excellent review. Been looking at something like this for a long time. Gonna have to treat myself so I can ditch the contacts! Cheers.

Best to set that 12g primer off before "knocking" it anywhere mind It is a damn good idea though and, since mine cost me something like £12 iirc, I feel like kicking myself!

Ahh, must've been lying through his teeth then, what a nobber. One of my mates came up with a pretty clever idea that might interest some of you though. Instead of buying a shotgun primer adaptor, just knock the primer out of a 12g blank, or even a used 12g shell and just file the edge down a bit. Looks like you've got a 12g blank in the BFG, but it's just a handy adaptor for primers. Considering this is the same friend who shot a laptop screen because he was stupid enough to balance his target on the keyboard and missed, and then went on to obliterate the HDD with the magnets in a motor just the other day, I was amazed he was capable of such brilliant innovation; but there you go lol.

Not sure that a Glock mag would hold revolver blanks, Ed. You can get automatic 9mm rounds with no flange (snigger) on the base, but they won't work in a bfg. Just slip through the adapter (I *may* be speaking from personal experience in buying the wrong sort...) I use a Bianchi Speedstrip to keep 6 blanks handy and easy to load.