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Posted: 4/17/2024 1:40:49 AM EDT
Wear your damned eye protection…
One of my pet peeves is all the videos of supposedly knowledgeable people shooting, getting those clicks, likes, views, whatever, with no eye protection… So anyhow- I was talking last week to my FIL, he told me about a cousin of his, who happened to have a glass eye…. because he was shooting at something, some fragments came back, and took out his eyeball. Fun stuff! Here on this site we have fairly common stories of guns blowing up for various reasons. I have experienced this myself, thankfully my kabooms were pretty minor though. I also know someone with gnarly facial scars due to frag coming back off a steel target. And yet- lots of people just don’t wear eye protection. They post pictures of themselves, their kids, and their wives, all shooting without eye protection. Not very smart. So - who has other tales of eyeball injuries besides my FIL’s cousin? Let’s hear them… |
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CO, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 1:46:55 AM EDT
[#1]
Yes. Find a brand/model of eye pro that's comfortable and you'll actually wear.
Shaded and clear. I generally take a "you're an adult, don't let your problem become my problem" attitude. Some gear (like a hard hat when you're ground crew and i'm on a tower) is non-negotiable. The installers I work with usually don't wear eye pro. Popping ceiling tiles in old-ass buildings, working in/around vehicles (engine compartments, pulling cable underneath the vehicle, behind dashes). Just seems odd to me. Personally, i'll throw eyes on and not even give it a second thought the rest of the day. while I recognize i'm more of a safety nerd than most people, it's always astounding to me how many people have to be told to wear ppe. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 1:56:16 AM EDT
[#2]
eyes and ears always, safety is so ingrained i wear both while cleaning
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NC, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:01:39 AM EDT
[#3]
As we get older we start using wisdom to make decisions.
Billions of rounds shot yearly. 10% maybe in accidents. Chit happens. Do what you do, live the life you get. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:07:01 AM EDT
[#4]
I wear safety glasses in bed to protect me from pink eye. Can’t be too unsafe
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:09:59 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Need4Guns]
[#5]
Happend to me a few weeks ago. Was wearing my regular glasses.
 Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:21:35 AM EDT
[#6]
 Attached FileBlunt trauma can be bad as well.This isn’t one of my patients as I don’t typically photograph injuries: It’s just a reminder to wear eye pro |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:26:57 AM EDT
[#7]
Rust ring removal
Also not my patient but I have to do this routinely. Even the tiniest piece of iron containing metal can embed in the cornea and rust. The rust is highly inflammatory and the tissue with rust needs to be removed. I typically use an Alger brush which is basically a low speed, low torque Dremel tool |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:28:18 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Curmudgeon762: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/563702/IMG_1067_png-3190172.JPG Blunt trauma can be bad as well.This isn't one of my patients as I don't typically photograph injuries: It's just a reminder to wear eye pro What happened there? |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:35:19 AM EDT
[#9]
The older I get the less I use safety squints and the more I use actual safety glasses.
My biggest issues with glasses for shooting is the stems always lift the ear muff cups and reduce their ability to block sound. But i rather have my eyesight. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:42:31 AM EDT
[#10]
His friend, already down an eye, didn't wear eye pro?
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:46:17 AM EDT
[#11]
I have a cousin with who was pulling a door panel apart in a junkyard and the plastic broke apart and a piece flew into his eye. He lost the eye.
I've personally had close calls. Most recently I was working with a rod under sprig tension. I had safety glasses on, but it was hotter then shit. I lifted my glasses to wipe my face and in that second my finger slipped and the rod rocketed into my eye. For the first few seconds I thought it had embedded. Ended up being alright. But I don't fuck around with risking eyes. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:51:24 AM EDT
[#12]
Zenni makes inexpensive prescription safety glasses. Mine are progressives with Transition lenses. They were my spares until my main pair broke a couple of months ago.
They have actually saved my eyes a couple of times. Once from a car near me kicking up gravel, and again from my toddler grandson accidentally hitting me in the face with a crayon while trying to hug me. 
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MS, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:52:01 AM EDT
[#13]
I’ve gotten a bit better about it over the years, generally about 99% of my shooting is with eye pro now.
I’ve trashed my vision/hearing over the years between work and hobbies. I’m pretty much just protecting what’s left at this point. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:52:08 AM EDT
[Last Edit: sdc360]
[#14]
I have pulled enough copper jacket material from shooting glasses over the years to know their value.
Second safety lesson: don’t shoot at clubs that have pot marked steel targets, and if your a member of a club please don’t shoot your Ak/garand/ar at steel 10 yards away “just to see what it will do”. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:52:23 AM EDT
[#15]
I had to go through annual safety training for my job so I always wore eye and ear protection when needed.
I do the same thing anywhere I go. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:53:20 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WoodHeat: What happened there? That’s a retro-bulbar hemorrhage. AKA bleeding behind the eye. Outcomes usually poor as the optic nerve is typically damaged. Racket balls used to be a major cause of these but we don’t see them much anymore as eye pro is mandatory on pretty much all courts. Anything that can significantly compress the globe can do it but it’s usually small things like balls or the end of a bungee cord. Automobile accidents as well. Fists are big enough that the energy is delivered to the area surrounding the eye. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 8:58:39 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By sdc360: I have pulled enough copper jacket material from shooting glasses over the years to know their value. Second safety lesson: don’t shoot at clubs that have pot marked steel targets, and if your a member of a club please don’t shoot your Ak/garand/ar at steel 10 yards away “just to see what it will do”. Just shooting handguns, I've had a piece of a copper jacket stick into my face about a mm below my glasses. It wouldn't have hit my eye if I wasn't wearing them, but it was a reminder not to forget. I have on a few occasions, shot a rifle at longer ranges (at paper targets with a good berm behind them) without eye pro, because the sweat, glare, or fog was interfering with my sight picture. Even then, it feels wrong. 
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:04:07 AM EDT
[#18]
I've had two eye injuries. One with eye pro and one without.
Without , I was cutting some guy wire with bolt cutters and either a piece of the galvanize or the steel itself shot in my eye. Eye Dr. had to remove it. Luckily not in the pupil but on the edge of the iris. With. Up in the bucket cutting some old green #2 solid copper primary. It was very windy that day and I had bent the tail up to position it to cut and the green corrosion flaked off turning to dust. It got in behind the side shields of my glasses. I probably would have been better off with goggles than glasses. A hardhat saved me a couple of times. As a groundman / helper on a linecrew almost 40 years ago. The lineman on the pole was driving a hardhead ( 1/2"x 5" lag bolt) . And as sometimes happens when driving nails and the sort it deflects and flies out with force . It smacked me right in the head at probably a 100 MPH and cracked my hardhat and made my knees buckle. It hit so hard I thought they had dropped a snatchblock (about 20 lbs) on my head. That hardhat probably saved my life or at least from having severe head injury and maybe a steel plate in my head. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:15:59 AM EDT
[#19]
I had a detent spring hit me if the eye once while working on a build. No major damage but, it was a reminder that safety glasses are a must.
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WI, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:17:40 AM EDT
[#20]
Was shooting a bolt action 22LR just burning up some old ammo. A case spit open and I got a face full of hot gases.
That wasn’t pleasant and it was just a 22LR. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:33:06 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Squeefoo]
[#21]
This can happen when you forget your eyepro.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:35:28 AM EDT
[#22]
My mom had a classmate who was filling a bike tire at a gas station who lost both eyes when the tire exploded.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:37:07 AM EDT
[#23]
Read a story on a local gun forum about a guy that had a negligent discharge with a Colt woodsman.22 pistol. His buddy was wearing Remington shooting glasses, the gun went off and the glasses stopped the projectile. If he wouldn't have been wearing them he would probably be dead.
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OR, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:50:48 AM EDT
[#24]
All of my eye injuries have been with safety glasses. Got a piece of hot brass on top of the glasses, shook my head to get rid of it and in it fell. Luckily I had my eye closed but it burned the shit out of my eyelid.
Got a piece of steel embedded into my eye running a die grinder. It bounced off the inside of my glasses and into the eyeball. Was big enough to feel it with the eyelid when blinking. 0/10. Do not recommend. I still wear goggles when doing most anything though. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 9:53:01 AM EDT
[#25]
Long time ago wife and I looked into eye correction surgery RK or some such. After the initial exam DR said I was a perfect candidate, even more so than my wife. I thought hard but realized that my glasses have saved my eyes countless times because I ALWAYS wear them. They get hit by debris and are often scarred. But they’re scarred instead of my eyeballs and that’s an ok trade. If I had to stop what I’m doing and go get safety glasses, I know I wouldn’t do it every time I needed to do some little something. Still wearing glasses and still have to replace them due to big scratches or gouges.
I’ve had bullet jacket fragments embed in body parts. But on my range, I use big-boy rules unless I’m teaching a newby. Big boys (and girls lol) get to decide if they want to accept the risks. I’ve got spare safety glasses for anyone. Only the new shooters are REQUIRED to wear eyepro though. They just don’t have the experience to make an informed decision so I do it for them. |
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GA, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:03:11 AM EDT
[#26]
I had a piece of jacket glance off my safety glasses Saturday and left a sore place on my head. I believe it came from a guy a few targets down from me. I walkoff the line and I don't know what he was shooting but particles and chunks were going everywhere. Fortunately it was brought to his attention and he switched to something else.
My dad got a nasty cut on the inner leg years ago while shooting in shorts. |
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TN, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:19:43 AM EDT
[#27]
Back in the early 1980's we were on a Pheasant hunt in Nebraska.Steel shot rules had just started for anything near waterfowl use areas.
We were near an old homeplace area with a pond so steel shot was being used. I had just limited out on the "Ditch Chickens" for the day,I took my eyepro off, broke open the Citori and headed toward the truck.Some of my buddies were still hunting. About half way to the truck 50-60 yrds ,I heard a rooster flush and cackle,turned to watch a buddy bust him,there was an old windmill fallen over behind the bird.Buddy got the bird,but steel shot ricochet off the windmill, several #4 pellets hit me in the face and one got me in the left eye,even from that distance. I had a total of 14hrs surgery to salvage the eye over the next few weeks but I'm mostly blind in that eye as a result of all the damage to the retina done by the#4 pellet. No one has to remind me to wear eyepro !!!!! |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:30:37 AM EDT
[#28]
I was standing behind the line about 15 feet from the shooter during an IDPA match. Idiot shooter was told to make and show safe and pull the trigger.
Instead she pulled the trigger with the muzzle pointed just in front of her feet before showing the weapon empty. I got hit by a piece of lead on my nose. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:40:32 AM EDT
[#29]
I’ve noticed a definite uptick over the past year of members on our club firing line who aren’t wearing any.
Not sure if they’re forgetting or just don’t know the rules. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:42:06 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ken_mays: I’ve noticed a definite uptick over the past year of members on our club firing line who aren’t wearing any. Not sure if they’re forgetting or just don’t know the rules. RSO’s aren’t immediately stopping that? |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:47:12 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Curmudgeon762: RSO’s aren’t immediately stopping that? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Curmudgeon762: Originally Posted By ken_mays: I’ve noticed a definite uptick over the past year of members on our club firing line who aren’t wearing any. Not sure if they’re forgetting or just don’t know the rules. RSO’s aren’t immediately stopping that? RSOs tend to float around the different areas, and the rifle lines are the main place I see it. They’re more or less on top of the pistol range constantly. They do say something when they see it. I always remind them when I notice. |
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USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:48:05 AM EDT
[#32]
When I was in 8th grade we were playing dodgeball. Some jackass threw the ball with all his strength right into my face from literally 2 feet away. Had a retinal bleed, which partially healed, but I was left with some scar tissue which rendered me basically blind in my right eye.
Got peppered with some copper jacket pretty good one time. It's still in my leg. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:51:22 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Wineraner]
[#33]
Originally Posted By tac556: Wear your damned eye protection… One of my pet peeves is all the videos of supposedly knowledgeable people shooting, getting those clicks, likes, views, whatever, with no eye protection… So anyhow- I was talking last week to my FIL, he told me about a cousin of his, who happened to have a glass eye…. because he was shooting at something, some fragments came back, and took out his eyeball. Fun stuff! Here on this site we have fairly common stories of guns blowing up for various reasons. I have experienced this myself, thankfully my kabooms were pretty minor though. I also know someone with gnarly facial scars due to frag coming back off a steel target. And yet- lots of people just don’t wear eye protection. They post pictures of themselves, their kids, and their wives, all shooting without eye protection. Not very smart. So - who has other tales of eyeball injuries besides my FIL’s cousin? Let’s hear them… No eye injuries---thank God---but a couple of stories. My sister had sand thrown in her face as a toddler (not by me!). I got to sit in the shitty County ER as a 4 year old and listen to the docs presumably irrigating her eye. It sounded unpleasant. She's fine, no lasting injuries. In P. Chem lab, where my ex-wife was, some idiot didn't pay attention to why there were multiple waste bottles in the hood. An actual no-shit explosion ensued. The protective screen took most of it; whoever used the waste bottles coat and goggles took the rest. I think they had ended up with lacerations---and a dunking under the deluge shower---but no eye damage. Might've lost em without the goggles. A range I went to, had some inadequate backstop for the ammunition an idiot next to me was using. (Really, they mean it: no steel core ammo. Shit head) I did not enjoy taking frag off my leg from the rebound, but was very grateful it wasn't worse or hit my glasses. I take stray brass off the walls of the shooting area all of the time. Pretty sure I've taken a bonk to the shooting glasses. So I'm very religious about wearing eye pro. And ear pro. |
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MP, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:52:55 AM EDT
[#34]
My friend Wayne, for whatever reason had a number four or number five flat blade screwdriver that was about 18 inches long and he was doing something on an old motorcycle where the screwdriver tip slipped, and he accidentally pushed it through to the other side of the bike where unfortunately it popped his brothers eye, who was watching on too closely on the other side while holding a light.
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GA, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 10:54:37 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Curmudgeon762: Rust ring removal Also not my patient but I have to do this routinely. Even the tiniest piece of iron containing metal can embed in the cornea and rust. The rust is highly inflammatory and the tissue with rust needs to be removed. I typically use an Alger brush which is basically a low speed, low torque Dremel tool Not a pleasant procedure. I had to have a metal sliver drilled out of my eye once, even anesthetized the mental aspect of that procedure was traumatic. I wear eye pro pretty much all day in my line of work and stay on my employees to do the same. I carry spare pairs of safety glasses in my truck in case I need to do something unexpected while out and about, that one procedure really made an impression on me. |
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CT, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:00:34 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Toker_]
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Breechlock1: The older I get the less I use safety squints and the more I use actual safety glasses. My biggest issues with glasses for shooting is the stems always lift the ear muff cups and reduce their ability to block sound. But i rather have my eyesight. I always double up and wear plugs underneath. Then wear electronic muffs so I can still hear. I do woodworking from time to time and I'm always afraid of a stray piece of wood that will go flying. So I always wear eye pro. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:00:35 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Curmudgeon762: Rust ring removal Also not my patient but I have to do this routinely. Even the tiniest piece of iron containing metal can embed in the cornea and rust. The rust is highly inflammatory and the tissue with rust needs to be removed. I typically use an Alger brush which is basically a low speed, low torque Dremel tool I’ve had that exact procedure done. Got metal in my eye in the afternoon. Went home after work with a mild burning sensation but figured it would go away with a good nights sleep. Next morning the eyeball was on fire. Off to the eye doc with a quickness. Next thing I know he comes out with a Dremel and went to work. Can confirm it sucks.
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MN, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:04:51 AM EDT
[#38]
When I grew up, I didn't wear eye protection. I never had an issue because I was mostly shooting .22
single shot bolt action rifle at soft targets/backgrounds. I started always wearing protection in college when I started shooting black powder revolvers. So much crap gets blown back at the shooter eye protection is necessary. It was really driven home one day when I was at an unsupervised range. Picture a berm, paper target in front of it, me about 15-20 feet from target, and my car behind me facing the target with it's trunk lid open. I fired, heard the sound of a ricochet, and the sound of metal hitting metal. The round hit something in the berm, ricocheted over my head and most of my car, and dented my trunk lid. It was my first, and most dangerous ricochet. Had it come back at me, glasses may not have saved me, but without them I'd definitely had lost an eye. Since then I've been hit with handgun bullet jacket and lead fragments, but always have had glasses on. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:08:21 AM EDT
[#39]
I also get ones that fit properly. I have had a piece of brass go between my glasses and face. Got a little burn under my eye.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:10:00 AM EDT
[#40]
While wearing safety glasses I was lifting a ceiling tile. A very small piece of the tile flaked off, hit my forehead, then the upper rim of my safety glasses and landed in my eye. It felt huge. Very painful. I attempted to flush it out with lots of water but it remained. Wound up in the ER. They had tools and a technique for dealing with this.
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:10:02 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Paul]
[#41]
You're not my supervisor!
 Yes, of course wear your safety gear if you care about your vision and hearing! |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:12:22 AM EDT
[#42]
I had a piece of popcorn ceiling crap drop right into the center of my eye and fix itself there.
I ended up in the emergency room where they dropped some fluorescent dye into my eyeball, shined the UV light, and a doctor with very steady hands plucked the piece out with a pair of tweezers. |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:35:22 AM EDT
[#43]
I got some safety glasses that are above and beyond ANSI z87.1. They come with yellow, dark, and clear lenses
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SD, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:44:52 AM EDT
[#44]
Been in the hospital since 4/1 when work literally blew up in my face. I've still got tattoos where debris, shrapnel, and explosive residue is embedded in my face, perfectly outlining my eye pro.
Pretty damn good reminder to always ppe, because things go bad faster than you can blink. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 11:53:39 AM EDT
[#45]
I was with my dad shooting limbs off of some trees with birdshot. I handed him the gun and glasses for him to take a few shots.. I walked away a good distance I thought and then something hit me in the eye.. called pops over and when I rolled my eyelid down a pellet rolled out.. that’s the last time I was anywhere near a gun without glasses on lol
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Posted: 4/17/2024 12:05:54 PM EDT
[#46]
I learned at a young age when a bb ricochet hit me right underneath my right eye. "Holy shit!"
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WV, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 12:12:51 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By hsvhobbit: Long time ago wife and I looked into eye correction surgery RK or some such. After the initial exam DR said I was a perfect candidate, even more so than my wife. I thought hard but realized that my glasses have saved my eyes countless times because I ALWAYS wear them. They get hit by debris and are often scarred. But they’re scarred instead of my eyeballs and that’s an ok trade. If I had to stop what I’m doing and go get safety glasses, I know I wouldn’t do it every time I needed to do some little something. Still wearing glasses and still have to replace them due to big scratches or gouges. I’ve had bullet jacket fragments embed in body parts. But on my range, I use big-boy rules unless I’m teaching a newby. Big boys (and girls lol) get to decide if they want to accept the risks. I’ve got spare safety glasses for anyone. Only the new shooters are REQUIRED to wear eyepro though. They just don’t have the experience to make an informed decision so I do it for them. This for sure. Reg/work glasses have been smacked countless times. |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 12:19:56 PM EDT
[#48]
Neighbor kid lost an eye playing hockey. Mid 1960's if that means anything.
If I recall correctly skate to the eye. Roy |
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Posted: 4/17/2024 12:24:47 PM EDT
[Last Edit: j3_]
[#49]
I was driving home once with the window down going about 70 and a gravel truck past me going in the other direction. Small piece of sand as ravel came in the window and embedded in my eye. Had to go to the docs and the picked it out with a needle and gave me some goop to put in my eye.
Had to go to the emergency room after I couldn't stand it anymore after two earlier doc visits keep telling me there was nothing in my eye and it was just irritated. I told the guy at the ER look there has to be something there. So he said the other doc was kind of right about nothing in my eye after he flipped my eyelid backwards and dug whatever it was out of the back of my eyelid. Immediate relief. I was wearing safety glasses that time but when something gets in behind a pair of safety glasses it seems it always winds in an eye. Have worked around two people with a glass eye. One from a childhood injury I think he said bb gun. The other was making up an electrical panel when a wire end poked his eye. He put off getting it looked at and he said it was infected to bad when he went for them to save it. I sure would have hated to have lived back when you couldn't find relief for things like this. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/17/2024 12:29:27 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 3impleman: eyes and ears always, safety is so ingrained i wear both while cleaning  My old Dyson vacuum is getting kind of loud.
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