I insist that everyone with me on the firing range –friends, students, and staff alike – wear safety glasses.  Without them, I would have been blind two or three times over in a life of shooting with the occasional mishap.  The firing pin from a defective CZ38 pistol ejected to the rear when its retainer broke, chipping the center of my right eyeglass lens, and would have skewered the eyeball like a toothpick in a martini olive without the protective lens.  In another incident, a .22 bullet came back from the edge of a steel bullet catcher and cracked the left lens.  In a third incident, a defective pistol blew up and sprayed my face with fine particles. Ruined the glasses, but nothing reached the eyes.

Obviously, they have other uses: working with chainsaws and all kinds of other equipment.  In another vein, I’ve long recommended wearing “eye pro” while driving, because early in my life I saw what glass particles from shattered windshields do to unprotected humans on the other side of the glass.

One of my graduates recently wrote me the following:

Chalk up another saved life to your efforts.

This evening, while driving home from Boston, a tree limb broke off a tree in the high winds, and smashed in my windshield. The inside of the car was showered in glass. Thanks to your advice about making sure I wore safety glasses while driving, my eyes were spared. The lenses of the glasses are pitted from the flying debris, but I walked away.

I’m not happy about the Lexus, but it can be fixed. My eyes can’t .
Thanks to you, I’ve been unharmed by this mishap.

I can’t thank you enough.

Chris

There’s another situation where they’re helpful, too.  Anytime you’re under fire and behind cover, debris from a near shot glancing off said cover can come at your face at residual velocity. Many years ago, a young California deputy told me that he took to heart the same advice I’d given Chris, and always wore his shooting glasses when driving. He was lead pursuit chasing a carload of bank robbers when they opened fire on him.  .45 ACP fire from a stolen Smith & Wesson smashed through his windshield, and he felt his face sting and burn but stayed in the chase.  It ended badly for the armed robbers and well for the police, and at the scene when it was over a brother officer told him, “There’s blood all over your face, bro.”  He got a bunch of slivers pulled out of his face with tweezers, but none made it to his eyes, though the glasses were ruined.

Thanks, Chris.

Thanks to recent eye surgery, I can now drive without eyeglasses for the first time in my life…but I still wear shooting glasses when in the car.

Chris understands why.

20 COMMENTS

  2. A lot of GIs have had their vision preserved in combat from flying stuff by wearing safety glass, if even just the GI “birth control” glasses. The airline pilot that got sucked partly out of a popped-out jet’s windshield is a more extreme example–he should have been wearing a space suit to protect against frozen eyeballs, etc.

    We are glad your operation succeeded. Many of us will be getting one before much longer. Would it be great to measure 20/20, 20/10, or even 20/8?!

  3. When I’m working around in the yard, mowing, edging, and using the blower I always wear my safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. When splitting wood the same thing.

  4. We had a Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy that was blinded in one eye from birdshot that would have been stopped by safety glasses . I believe it was in the nineties.

  5. My shooting glasses are the ESS ICE system, which works very well for me and can get some very weird looks off the range. My regular out-and-about sunglasses, including for driving, are ballistic rated and don’t get weird looks. I’m going to get something for night driving as well. Thank you.

  6. I’ll add that I also wear mine while reloading. Having a primer light off in your press is quite the persuader. Ask me how I know 🙂

  7. I’ve been wearing glasses for most of my life. Several years ago I decided to get safety glasses for shooting instead of having to wear the over the glasses safety ones. Not had any incidents shooting but in the kitchen they have saves my eyes from flying grease several times

  9. Make sure you spend a couple bucks more and get optically clear lenses. A lot of budget safety glasses have defects that can drive you nuts. Flying debris also is a good argument for protective transparent lens caps on optical sights.

    Also, when doing other things, like grinding, wear goggles, not safety glasses. I got this recommendation from the leading eye specialist at MCV some years ago. He sees virtually no patients that were wearing goggles, lots that used safety glasses or face shields. I got lucky and had no lasting damage, you might not be so lucky.

  10. Good advice as always Mas. Had cataract surgery a few weeks ago myself. I was wearing safety glasses while shoveling snow since I’m overly conscious about protecting my eyes now. I flung a shovel-full of snow and it must have had a rock in it. The rock hit the stone wall, bounced back and smacked me right in the lens of the glasses. Would’ve hit me right in my new bionic eye….

    • Roy, I’ve personally had great luck with Rudy Project brand, and know lots of people who swear by Oakleys. Those were Rudy Project in the blog photo.

  12. Years ago I was tempted to get the old RK surgery to correct my myopia, but held off to ensure I wouldn’t be tempted to go without eye protection. Since then, I’ve amassed my own collection of mangled glasses from gun nails going astray, to welding slag from welders on high steel, and the transition lenses have protected from UV rays. But I never thought about windshield damage; thank you for that “heads up”!

  14. Mas,

    This request is off-topic. Feel free to delete this post, because this topic will not just open a can of worms, it will open a can of snakes.

    I thought with your expertise as an expert witness, you might know some things about the Kennedy assassination. I know smart level-headed people who have all kinds of ideas about it. I myself lean toward the explanation that Lee Harvey Oswald did it by himself, but I can’t prove it.

    My guess is you dealt with this long ago, and don’t want to revisit it. That’s fine. Sorry to ruin your day.

    Remember, feel free to delete this post if you don’t want to discuss this topic for the next six months. What a bizarre chapter in American history.

      • THANKS, MAS!

        When this topic comes up with friends, I will remember what you said.

        One more comment, and this one is about Jackie Kennedy. I admire her reaction to that tragedy, and here’s why. Growing up in the USA, I’ve had an easy life. In order to avoid remaining a marshmallow, I’ve had to read things, and push myself in order to toughen up, so I can endure hard times should they come my way.

        Imagine Jackie Kennedy’s life, growing up as a rich girl, riding horses and learning to be a lady before Womens’Lib. She had a soft life. There she is, the first lady, a celebrity, riding in a convertible, in a sunlit parade. In a microsecond, she is in a combat zone, the bullets pass within inches of her. She reaches back onto the trunk to retrieve pieces of her husband’s brain. If I was her, I think I would have put my face in my hands and just screamed. I admire her courage under fire.

  15. Kudos for the reminder of the importance of eye pro with the real-life experiences! I have on occasion used them while driving, especially yellow lenses at night over my regular glasses.

    Although the regular specs are polycarb, they don’t offer the coverage as wrap around eye pro. Been having good luck with Mossy Oak branded safeties, manufactured by Crews. I have them in clear,amber, mirror and vermillion. Going to try out the vermillion driving tomorrow. Available on eBay at a very reasonable cost.

    Remember, ya’ can’t shoot it if ya’ can’t see it!

  16. I worked for a company in the oil fields of North Dakota for a time. A lot of travel was on gravel roads and this company bought truck and pickup windshields by the pallet (I’m not kidding) to replace those broken by flying stones flung up from the roads.

    A couple guys I know came in with blood on their faces, but eyes intact because they were wearing their safety glasses while driving when rocks hit the windshield and sprayed glass to the inside of the cab.

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