Les Jones: Gun Safety and the Magic Bullet

November 15, 2005

Guns > Gun Safety and the Magic Bullet

There's currently a High Road discussion of ricochets. It reminds me that I really ought to wear actual safety glasses and not just my polycarbonate prescription glasses when shooting, esp. at unconventional targets. Anyway, this vignette stood out:

I have an ex girlfriend that was shooting a refrigorator with an AR and took a ricochet to the arm. It hit her above the wrist, broke her ulna, and came out below the elbow and hit her father in the thigh. Her uncle who was shooting took a piece of the jacket through his earlobe.

One shot, three hits. That's one magic bullet. Makes the Warren Commission's single bullet theory a little more believable, doesn't it?

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Comments

I talked to my optometrist about that (safety glasses vs prescription eye glasses). he told me that the lenses in my eye glasses (scrath and shatter resistant) are most likely stronger than 90% of what I can buy on the general market as "safety glasses."

Don't know if its true or not, but that is what he said.

Posted by: countertop at November 15, 2005

That's probably true, but my eyeglass lenses are fashionably small. Shooting safety glasses would provide more protection, esp. from side impacts.

The next time I buy eyeglasses at a "two for the price of one" place I may just go ahead and have a pair of yellow-tinted, prescription shooting glasses made from a style with larger lenses.

Posted by: Les Jones at November 15, 2005

Just to chime in, having some sort of wraparound frame with temple pieces and a covering for the brow is a good idea too.

I was shooting with Bill last August, minding my own business, and .223 brass ejected from his AR-15 flipped over the top of my regular eyeglasses and stuck between the frames and my eye.

It hurt like hell, gave me a slight burn, and caused me to miss my shot. But, there was no permanent damage. Having the brass land there was a million to one chance, but it can happen.

Posted by: Denise at November 15, 2005

Many styles of Wiley X eyewear can be fitted with prescription lenses, and will stop a charge of 12ga birdshot in the bargain.

Posted by: Tam at November 15, 2005

I may check out the Wileys.

BTW, I remembered why I don't like regular shooting glasses: they break the seal on the earmuffs. At least the ones I have do.

Posted by: Les Jones at November 20, 2005