Goggles!

[Druid799]

I've seen on a few sites rules about using full seal eye pro, but that is about it. SOme sites state they will test shot any eye pro they do not think/know if safe. So if you turn up with a pair that is not common, be prepared to get them test shot. 

From what I have learned, frames and lenses are rated independently when it comes to goggles. Glasses (with no head band/strap) can only ever be rated F - no higher. To get a higher rating, the frames must have a strap. 

Cheap protection found on ebay may have F rated lenses, but not have F rated frames, which is why the lens pops out when shot. 

Source : http://www.safetyspecs.co.uk/BS EN 166.htm 

Personally I wouldn't trust mesh to protect my eyes. I've had bb's shatter on my face mask, and yes, no damage done to my face/teeth, but the thought of the shrapnel going into my eyes freaks me out.

One site I played at would only allow Oakley glasses with metal frames but none of the plastics for this very reason . I also just don’t trust mesh to protect my eyes sufficently to use them , BBs are manufactured from plastic , they can have manufacturing faults , wether it’s voids or air bubbles I’ve seen way too many cheap ones shatter on impact and ‘high end’ ones as well to trust mesh with my long term vision .

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Mesh is fine used it for years with no big issues. If a bb shatters through it loses most of it's force so it is usually no worse than sand in the eye at the beach.

 

[CiderPunk]

I took a few to the OT lower mesh mask last week, I was spitting out gritty bits of paint from the inside for a while, wouldn't want them in my eye!

 

[Rogerborg]

Cheap protection found on ebay may have F rated lenses, but not have F rated frames, which is why the lens pops out when shot. 

Check my working, but F rating is a 0.86g BB at 45m/s.  I make that 0.5 * 0.00086 * (45 * 45) or 0.87075J.  We should be expecting impacts of over 1J, so I'm not sure why an F rated frame would be considered as good enough for that purpose.

One site I played at would only allow Oakley glasses with metal frames but none of the plastics for this very reason .

I admire their good intent, but there's a problem with sites doing that.  If they get into the business of saying "X is OK, but Y is not", then they've created a duty of care where one might not have existed.  And if X fails, they may have created liability.  You should be very careful about setting yourself up an arbiter of what PPE is sufficient for a task, unless you're prepared to be a test case.

The tl;dr version is that we really should be using at least EN166 B rated eye protection.  I wonder how many of us do?

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

I took a few to the OT lower mesh mask last week, I was spitting out gritty bits of paint from the inside for a while, wouldn't want them in my eye!

Won't do much harm if it does. I had a chunk of bb penetrate my outer eye and other than being a bit itchy no biggie. Didn't stop me playing and took 5 minutes to get out at the hospital next day. 

View attachment 34082

 

[MisterG]

Tested the same way as the other pair, ie, 350fps at 5m full auto.  Couple of minor marks, I would say the lens feel more pliable, so deform to absort impact rather than shattering.

I'll look into the smiths optics options.

Cheers

G

 

[djben9]

Tested the same way as the other pair, ie, 350fps at 5m full auto.  Couple of minor marks, I would say the lens feel more pliable, so deform to absort impact rather than shattering.

I'll look into the smiths optics options.

Cheers

G

google / youtube ,

i think it was the SO one, it took a bit of cutting from memory

 

[MisterG]

I've looked, strange two reviewers had the same result, one recommended them and one didn't.  Duff said he likes a debate, I think this will run and run . 

I can just about get away without wearing glasses to play, maybe i'll get some iserts so if the first lens fails, at least there is soemthing else between the BB and my eyes, and that way I can see well into the distance.

Cheers

G

 

[Druid799]

“Won't do much harm if it does. I had a chunk of bb penetrate my outer eye and other than being a bit itchy no biggie. Didn't stop me playing and took 5 minutes to get out at the hospital next day. “

As some one who works in an A&E dept and frequently deals with eye trauma I’ve got say thats an incredibly dangerous and uninformed comment mate . Actually it IS a very big ‘biggie’ as you put it , ANY trauma of any sort to the eye can cause devastating and unresolvable damage to your sight . 

Never ever underestimate injury to your eyes , always act as if it’s the worst case , it’s easy to de-escalate the treatment once we know it’s not a major problem , if ayou don’t , then if it is a bad one it’s too late to escalate treatment a couple of days later . 

 

[Rogerborg]

350fps at 5m full auto. 

The worst case scenario is 500 fps point blank, if you walk in front of a sniper rifle.  Or rather, ~350 fps from a 0.4g BB, as it'll be denser.  And actually, a bit more than 350 fps x 0.4g given the Joule creep issue with gas guns.

Thinking about it, once you get up towards 0.5g bb, you're beginning to approach the density of the 0.86g steel BB used in the EN166 F test, and knocking on 3 times the energy.

That is an eye opener, so to speak.

 

[Arwen]

Check my working, but F rating is a 0.86g BB at 45m/s.  I make that 0.5 * 0.00086 * (45 * 45) or 0.87075J.  We should be expecting impacts of over 1J, so I'm not sure why an F rated frame would be considered as good enough for that purpose.

I admire their good intent, but there's a problem with sites doing that.  If they get into the business of saying "X is OK, but Y is not", then they've created a duty of care where one might not have existed.  And if X fails, they may have created liability.  You should be very careful about setting yourself up an arbiter of what PPE is sufficient for a task, unless you're prepared to be a test case.

The tl;dr version is that we really should be using at least EN166 B rated eye protection.  I wonder how many of us do?

Correct maths, and yes, I agree we should all be wearing "better" eye pro. It's why I now wear Z87+ rated goggles , which allow for a much harder impact (using a pointed projectile too rather than a spherical one) 

View attachment 34083

Numbers stolen from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_eyewear 

I suspect the F rated glasses work, as by the time most bb's hit the lenses, they have lost enough momentum that they are below the impact rating for the lens. 

 

[Rogerborg]

Thanks for the shout on the Z87+, I'll take a look for those.  At a quick glance, Bolle Trackers have B rated lenses too.  Or there's STANAG 4296 or 2920 and again... Bolle.  I'm starting to see a pattern here...

All that said, any F rated polycarb lenses will probably be OK (because they generally are OK), but that scenario of a high mass sniper BB at point blank has got me wondering whether that's by luck more than design.

 

[Arwen]

Revision bullet ant are what I have. Got a deal on brand new ones on ebay a few months ago for £36. Come with smoke, yellow and clear lenses and they are really comfortable. Once the foam is removed from the top and bottom they rarely fog, unless I am running a lot and wearing a hat! 

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

As some one who works in an A&E dept and frequently deals with eye trauma I’ve got say thats an incredibly dangerous and uninformed comment mate . Actually it IS a very big ‘biggie’ as you put it , ANY trauma of any sort to the eye can cause devastating and unresolvable damage to your sight . 

Never ever underestimate injury to your eyes , always act as if it’s the worst case , it’s easy to de-escalate the treatment once we know it’s not a major problem , if ayou don’t , then if it is a bad one it’s too late to escalate treatment a couple of days later . 

How is it uninformed? It was my eye so I know personally how much of an issue it was. It didnt penetrate to any depth and could of been me rubbing it not the actual impact that did it.

Outside layer of the eye regenerates well so no lasting damage so to my mind the mesh worked. Yes it allowed a shard through but slowed it enough to prevent serious injury,  job done.

Had to have splinters of metal taken out of my eye on a couple of occasions and that sucked but this one was not too bad. 

 

[Duff]

Your eyepro must be really shit then? Given how much stuff you keep having to get removed from your eyeballs. 

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Your eyepro must be really shit then? Given how much stuff you keep having to get removed from your eyeballs. 

Nah the metal bits are work related and the thorn was a drunken bramble whipping contest ?

 

[Druid799]

How is it uninformed? It was my eye so I know personally how much of an issue it was. It didnt penetrate to any depth and could of been me rubbing it not the actual impact that did it.

Outside layer of the eye regenerates well so no lasting damage so to my mind the mesh worked. Yes it allowed a shard through but slowed it enough to prevent serious injury,  job done.

Had to have splinters of metal taken out of my eye on a couple of occasions and that sucked but this one was not too bad. 

Sorry mate but have you had any training in ophalmology ? I have and yes your statement is still a dangerous one . You said it was your eye so you knew how much of an issue it was , very true it is your eye , BUT ever heard of people having life threatening illnesses and not knowing about it till it was too late ? scaring to eyes does not go away once you’ve scratched an eye it’s there for ever the severity of how much it’ll compromise you vision depends on where in the eye it is and how long it’s there . You said it penetrated your eye , that’s extreme trauma you run the risk of infection as well from the shard so yes I still stand by my statement .  

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Sorry mate but have you had any training in ophalmology ? I have and yes your statement is still a dangerous one . You said it was your eye so you knew how much of an issue it was , very true it is your eye , BUT ever heard of people having life threatening illnesses and not knowing about it till it was too late ? scaring to eyes does not go away once you’ve scratched an eye it’s there for ever the severity of how much it’ll compromise you vision depends on where in the eye it is and how long it’s there . You said it penetrated your eye , that’s extreme trauma you run the risk of infection as well from the shard so yes I still stand by my statement .  

Some people are just too soft 

 

[MisterG]

As stated above, even a minor injury can develop complications, infection etc.  Also, had it gone into the cornea, might have been a different outcome.  Glad it wasn't.

Cheers

G

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

As stated above, even a minor injury can develop complications, infection etc.  Also, had it gone into the cornea, might have been a different outcome.  Glad it wasn't.

Cheers

G

Cant live life in a world of could of and maybes. 

Would rather just say fuck it and go with it.