I’ve been there and done that. In a rush to get through a limited range session with plenty to do, I simply did not put on eye protection for a new gun with new ammo. While the worst that happened was a hang-fire, it certainly reminded me of my own idiocy.

As we get deep into the hunting and holiday seasons, make sure to wear your eye protection. Of note, sunglasses do NOT count as eye protection, only lenses that are specially rated to meet or beat the ANSI safety rating are good to go. Most sunglasses are not ANSI tested or rated and use a non-ballistic material base for the lenses. This can create a very dangerous situation for incoming shrapnel, where the glasses can add to the debris entering your eye.

With today’s fashionable, low-cost, and low-profile eyewear, there simply is no excuse to forget one’s “eyes” . Modern poly-carbonate technologies have even advanced to avoid fogging through coatings and sprays.

Fortunately, one can look outside the shooting industry for less expensive excellent eyewear. Both U-Line and Grianger, known for industrial supply, have a multitude of glasses that meet the ANSI requirements, including pairs down to just a few dollars a piece. We use these daily for manufacturing and at least once a year, they save eyesight (if only from oil squirting under high pressure)!

I’m personally a fan of ESS, which is good to go: