Eye protection and revolvers
- Thread starter Yohan
- Start date
Back in the old days when most of us carried revolvers, if you were on a range with a lot of other revolver shooters, you could be assured that at least one revolver near you would be out of time and would shave lead (the cylinder charge hole and the forcing cone don't line up exactly, so when the bullet passes between them, a small amount of lead is shaved off and spit out the gap between the forcing cone and the cylinder). I have actually been hit in the face with spit lead from an out-of-time revolver and it drew a little blood. Certainly worth a little eye protection.
Also, it's been known to happen on rare occasions with both revolvers and autos alike-a bad round sends a bullet part way up, but not all the way out of the barrel. The next round hits the plugged bullet and the barrel peels apart, sending shrapnel in all directions. It's not common and if you're paying attention, you should be able to detect a dud by its sound, but it does occasionally happen. Another good reason for eye protection.
A third reason is very simple. A pistol range is a dangerous place by its very nature. You're only given one set of eyes. Why risk them?
JMHO.
Bob
Also, it's been known to happen on rare occasions with both revolvers and autos alike-a bad round sends a bullet part way up, but not all the way out of the barrel. The next round hits the plugged bullet and the barrel peels apart, sending shrapnel in all directions. It's not common and if you're paying attention, you should be able to detect a dud by its sound, but it does occasionally happen. Another good reason for eye protection.
A third reason is very simple. A pistol range is a dangerous place by its very nature. You're only given one set of eyes. Why risk them?
JMHO.
Bob
My goodness, Yohan! Didn't you learn anything from your own ear protection thread? Eye protection is even more important. You never know when something is going to go wrong with any gun. It may be as small as some unburned (or burning) powder bouncing off something nearby into your eyes or as big as the gun blowing up in your hand. The type of gun makes no difference as to whether you should wear eye protection.
Blue Duck357
New member
Depending on your backstop you can get debris from the rounds impact as well. Steel is especially bad to send bullet fragments back at you, but I've also had rock shards from a "dirt" embankment smack me pretty good. It' s not a lawyer or safety natzi thing, shooting glasses are important.
Eye protection is very important, for many reasons.
If you shoot enough, you will eventually run into a condition where you will have wanted eye protection. Were you wearing it?
Conditions like a fire-breather spitting lead.
A .22 spitting powder.
A ricochet, bounces back when shooting steel plates at 25 yards or less.
Shrapnel from a bullet hitting rocks, dirt, concrete, glass or anything you wouldn't want in your eyes.
A semi-auto firing when not in battery.
A case rupture in an auto.
A squib load.
A double charge.
Somebody to your left ejecting brass in your direction when you don't expect it.
Not to mention, in most ranges, it is required for insurance reasons.
The list just goes on and on.
I'm forced to wear hearing proctection, and eye protection at work, when conditions aren't very dangerous.
Safety glasses, and hearing protection are cheap to buy, easy to get used to, and when you need them, and aren't wearing them, it's very bad.
If you shoot enough, you will eventually run into a condition where you will have wanted eye protection. Were you wearing it?
Conditions like a fire-breather spitting lead.
A .22 spitting powder.
A ricochet, bounces back when shooting steel plates at 25 yards or less.
Shrapnel from a bullet hitting rocks, dirt, concrete, glass or anything you wouldn't want in your eyes.
A semi-auto firing when not in battery.
A case rupture in an auto.
A squib load.
A double charge.
Somebody to your left ejecting brass in your direction when you don't expect it.
Not to mention, in most ranges, it is required for insurance reasons.
The list just goes on and on.
I'm forced to wear hearing proctection, and eye protection at work, when conditions aren't very dangerous.
Safety glasses, and hearing protection are cheap to buy, easy to get used to, and when you need them, and aren't wearing them, it's very bad.
I always wear protection, sometimes i take them off after shooting and there is crap on them, in tern this would be my eye's with crap in them, wearing proper eye wear, grass is not recommended, polycarbonate is one of the best materials for lenses, they will not shatter and hold up to impacts. Be safe at all times and wear protection, you only have one pair of eye's to see 8) Aim small hit small. RAMbo.
The down side of wearing eye protections is...what?
The down side of not wearing it is...possibly a new dog with a nice harness?
I always just ask myself on all these types of questions what I have to lose either way.
Of course it's gotten where I need a little something between me and the sights just so I can focus. I'd even give you a pair of shooting glasses that can only work for me in bright, bright sunlight anymore if it'd help.
The down side of not wearing it is...possibly a new dog with a nice harness?
I always just ask myself on all these types of questions what I have to lose either way.
Of course it's gotten where I need a little something between me and the sights just so I can focus. I'd even give you a pair of shooting glasses that can only work for me in bright, bright sunlight anymore if it'd help.
beware rimfires!
I was shooting my NAA mini-revolver and had the primer end on a .22 mag round split and blow by-products of combustion straight back in my face. (no harm done but I was glad I had my smith and wesson safety glasses on.)
I wear eye and ear protection not only to the range but for a wide variety of around the home/yard applications. It makes good sense.
I was shooting my NAA mini-revolver and had the primer end on a .22 mag round split and blow by-products of combustion straight back in my face. (no harm done but I was glad I had my smith and wesson safety glasses on.)
I wear eye and ear protection not only to the range but for a wide variety of around the home/yard applications. It makes good sense.
I was shooting in a CAS shoot couple years back.
My .38 loads were already light, makes for quick follow ups, and apparently one round was even a bit lighter, judging from the sound and what happened next.
Instead of the slug splattering on the steel plate, it bounced right back and smacked me in the sternum (hard bone in center of chest) and then bounced off me and landed about ten feet in front of me. So, that sucker was flyin'!
I was wearing a light cotton shirt, and although the slug didn't penetrate it, I did bleed a bit. That's wierd, but that's what happened. Hurt like a horsekick, but no real harm done.
Now, if that had hit an eye, my handle would be something like Deadeye, or Patch.
I'd shoot without ear protection before shooting without glasses, and I don't shoot without earplugs.
You might look like a geek with safety glasses, but you're holding a gun, who's gonna call you one?
Stay safe, stay sighted.
-Kframe
My .38 loads were already light, makes for quick follow ups, and apparently one round was even a bit lighter, judging from the sound and what happened next.
Instead of the slug splattering on the steel plate, it bounced right back and smacked me in the sternum (hard bone in center of chest) and then bounced off me and landed about ten feet in front of me. So, that sucker was flyin'!
I was wearing a light cotton shirt, and although the slug didn't penetrate it, I did bleed a bit. That's wierd, but that's what happened. Hurt like a horsekick, but no real harm done.
Now, if that had hit an eye, my handle would be something like Deadeye, or Patch.
I'd shoot without ear protection before shooting without glasses, and I don't shoot without earplugs.
You might look like a geek with safety glasses, but you're holding a gun, who's gonna call you one?
Stay safe, stay sighted.
-Kframe
Always wear eye protection. As chief range safety officer of my club, I'd have to issue myself a major violation if I didn't 
I've seen a J-frame with the rear of the backstrap completely separated. I believe that I'm a better loader than that particular fellow was. But I (and factories) can screw up now and then. If I'm wearing glasses, the net result of such a screw up would likely be nothing more than a minor cuts and bruises. If I wasn't wearing glasses, the net result of such a screw up could be blindness. I'm not taking any chances.
M1911
I've seen a J-frame with the rear of the backstrap completely separated. I believe that I'm a better loader than that particular fellow was. But I (and factories) can screw up now and then. If I'm wearing glasses, the net result of such a screw up would likely be nothing more than a minor cuts and bruises. If I wasn't wearing glasses, the net result of such a screw up could be blindness. I'm not taking any chances.
M1911