BALLISTIC EYE PROTECTION

In this article we will discuss the importance of ballistically-rated eyewear for firearms training and operations.



Until fairly recently, the Army largely disregarded range health & safety. I'm sure some readers are old enough to remember when sticking cotton-wool, or, empty cartridge cases in the ears was "state of the art!" Even artillery personnel had to endure  damaging decibels unprotected. Eventually it was realised that learning to shoot under such painful stimuli was counter-productive, and long-term hearing loss was becoming a real concern, so ear defenders became an issue item. However, protecting the eyes was ignored until fairly recently.

THE FIRING RANGE:
Live firing ranges contain many potential hazards, including:-
1] Explosive propellants
2] violently expanding incandescent gasses
3] Hot ejected cases
4] Lead particles
5] Hot/sharp metal parts
6] Projectiles

When I started shooting in 1974, we did not use eye protection. After experiencing a chamber detonation while firing a 9mm pistol, I started thinking about the issue.



I wore prescription spectacles back then, which I had ordered of toughened glass, because of working in security. So I had a degree of protection, better than nothing. I was lucky, because it was several years before I was alerted to the need for reliable eye protection after I started training with some of the senior US firearms instructors.


[I wore Gargoyles for many years]

RANGE EQUIPMENT
Most shooting glasses are made from some type of Polycarbonate. There are several reputable manufacturers, numerous styles and a wide price range. Some lenses are susceptible to scratches, so careful cleaning is essential.
Some shooters don't realise that the baseball cap, commonly worn on range, is actually an important adjunct to eye protection.
On range we are vulnerable to hot brass from our own, or, neighbouring shooters, weapons. If an ejected case goes down your shirt, we expect you to be able to cope with the minor burn. However, a case dropping between the glasses and the eyes, will be trapped within the eye sockets, and anything that threatens the eyes causes an involuntary reaction. Generally, this involves turning the head away..... and where the head goes the body follows, and that live firearm can start to traverse to muzzle-sweep fellow shooters. The brim of the baseball cap helps prevent this.


[Baseball cap is part of the protection package]

I must admit that I considered the cap useful for keeping the sun out of the eyes, or, rain off my glasses, but it was Mass Ayoob who explained the layered protection of cap and eyewear.
Even more protection is offered by side-shields, available from some designers. Especially applicable to range staff, who are not always standing square to the targets, but will be prowling the firing line checking and helping shooters.


[Gargoyles for indoor/lowlight conditions, with side-shields]

Those side shields are important because there are other hazards besides empty cases. Ricochets from rocks in the berm, range furniture, or especially, steel targets, are another potential cause of injury. At an IALEFI Conference in Arizona I attended a presentation by Bill Barousse, rangemaster at the Kennedy Space Centre, on the safety, placement, maintained and course-design aspects of shooting on steel targets. Bill had the ballistics of the ricochets researched by the guys at Kennedy, who are literally "rocket scientists" and the results were frightening. Pieces of bullet core, jacket material and target spall can project up to about 40 yards in almost any direction. A couple of years later, at another IALEFI Conference, I attended a Night Shooting class presented by Frank McBee, an adjunct instructor for Heckler & Koch. The format was a classroom lecture in the late afternoon, then a dinner break, until it was dark enough to reconvene on the outdoor range for the live firing. I went to dinner with Frank and a few other guys, and when we arrived at the range there were far more shooters than expected. Frank said "Den would you mind skipping the class, as I need you helping me out?" I was thus assisting in running the range, safety checks etc. The range was set up with two berms at 90 degrees to each other, with a relay shooting "Pepper Poppers" on each. The stuff we saw coming back off those steel targets was outrageous, streaking through the air, glowing like tracer. It was a visual validation of Bill's work, and left a deep impression. When anyone is shooting steel, all present must be wearing wrap-round eye protection, even if standing far back from the firing line.
You will need at least two sets, for outdoor/bright conditions as well as indoor/night shooting. Some designs have interchangeable lenses for this.


[Revision Sawfly have interchangeable lenses]

If you need corrective lenses, some eye protection allows a prescription insert to be added.


[These models can integrate a prescription insert]

When selecting eyewear ensure they meet International testing standards, [US ANSI Z87.1 – 2010)  or European (EN166, 169,170 & 172

OPERATIONAL USE
Police and Military personnel should use ballistic eye protection for fairly obvious reasons. A couple of examples: A friend of mine was working on a PSD and visited the Military Trauma Centre in Baghdad for a recee. Wards were filled with soldiers injured in firefights, IED strikes and mortar stonks. He mentioned that whereas many of them had faces peppered with fragmentation wounds, there was a clear area which perfectly outlined the coverage of the eye protection. Many of these soldiers would have been blinded, and if you are blind, even temporarily, in an ambush, you are likely to die.



It's not only frag that can cause injury. Another friend was on an external operation with the Rhodesian SAS. Approaching the target building in darkness Les ran into a wire washing line, that raked across his eyes, putting him out of the fight.



Many  bodyguards wear sunglasses while on protective duties. My view has always been, if you are going to be wearing glasses you might as well go for ballistic models. We specially emphasise utilizing eye protection on vehicle escort runs. The front seat guys [driver and car-commander] should definately have suitable eyewear available. A couple of sets of yellow-tinted glasses in the glove compartment should be part of the vehicle kitlist.
A final point, make sure that the Med-pack contains Eye pads and Saline for eye injuries.

Firearms health & safety has progressed a long way from the days of cotton wool in the ears. Today most professional instructors, myself included, won't allow anyone on range, shooters or spectators, without proper eye and ear protection. Stay safe!

Links:
Gargoyles
Revision Sawfly [/i]

Good article Den, thanks.

Thanks Ken

Den, when were you at Kennedy Space Centers range? My cousin by marriate, a South African born former UD Marine is a Lieutenat on their swat team and one of the Fitearms instructors and rangemasters there.

I was never at KSC. Bill Barousse presented a seminat at IALEFI near Phoenix in 1991. By the way, one of the training staff for our first BG courses in America was Gary Wistrand, former US Secret Service, who became head of security at Kennedy.