using safety googles for airsoft..

[ElZer0]

has anyone done this??

I means ones from Screw fixers and other hardware stores?!?

looking through a certain mag, and has some bolle glasses pretty cheap

specifications are:

EN 166 1 F, EN 170

What does that mean?? lol

When I was a carpenter, I remeber having ones for the nail gun/grinder etc, so if it can stop a nail. bit of metal, surely it would stop a bb?!


Also I dont want to hear... arent your eyes worth more than £....

I just dont want to pay through the nose!

[Evansy]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

Yeah they're fine.
I played with Bolle Silium safety glasses for years and a mate of mine uses Bolle Contour's with polarised lenses and swears by them.
In fact the only reason I moved away from Bolle glasses is that I started playing 90% CQB so I got a full face mask.

If you google the specifications you'll be able to find out exactly what they cover. I did know them (and know they exceed what is needed for airsoft) but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[ZX12R A1]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

If they are that cheap buy them and shoot them from point blank range then you will know for sure.

As you said your eyes are worth it. If you really want to test them find someone with a fully upgraded sniper doing the full 500fps and shoot them with that.

Personally I went with a pair of Guarder's at £30.00 and my eyes are definately worth that never mind the fact that they come with 4 different lenses for differing conditions.

If you go onto Bolle's website there is a little chart which has a key on it which covers every set of eye wear they sell and it gives a ballistic resistance rating in M/Sec which you can convert to FPS easily enough. If memory serves the second rating from the top provides suffcient cover up to 350fps but please check as its been a while since I looked.

[Tiercel]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

EN 166 1 F is a EU safety standard for eye protection from direct impact. EN166 1 is just a reference to the safety standard, the level of protection is denoted by the letter, it ranges from F to A, F being the lowest, F is the minimum level of protection needed for airsoft, if I remember rightly its rated up to 1joule of energy (about 330fps) but thats with a metal BB, so theyll provide ample protection from a little bit of plastic!

Ive always used bolle bandidos which are rated to F and theyve served me fine for 2 years, though Im now using ESS V12 advancers which are rated to EN 166 1 B, which is like 10 joules or something silly like that, I think theyre supposed to stop anything up to a .22 rifle round, so a 6mm bb will be no problem :P

[millhouse1002]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3M-YELLOW-SAFE...item27b3497545

i wear the above, got free from dads work... and i must say... been wearing them for around 6 months now... and theyve been hit many times with bb's and no damage whatsoever.

[Mattplus]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

As with other forms of protection, such as cycle helmets and whatnot- shouldn't you replace your eye protection if it takes a hit? Reason why I ask is that it's ok saying protection will protect against 'X' amount of force but I'm pretty sure they will only protect for one hit against that kind of force, anything at the same force afterwards would not be protected against? Fair enough airsoft guns probably don't have the power to even remotely damage a good pair of protective glasses, but if you shot them with a .22 (see example above), then shoot them again I'm pretty sure the glasses would defect after the second impact... For yet another example, bullet proof glass is only bullet proof for a certain number of shots before it starts to become penetrable, therefore I'm dubious when people say eye protection has served people well for how ever long... Does that mean those people have been hit several times on their eye protection and it still functions? Or does that mean that people have never been hit (yet) on their eye protection and simply assume it's therefore a good set?

EDIT: Milhouse has just answered my question lol.

[millhouse1002]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

your prob right in what your saying, but they would start to show signs of wearing first would they not? before completely giving in?

[millhouse1002]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

and also, if you think of a car windscreen. if you crack the windscreen, the crack will eventually spread although will not give in unless forced to do so....

i would say if your saftey glasses have a crack on them... i wouldnt advise using...

[wires]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

breakdown of the lense markings, (from jsmacannell.ie)

3 Code number: indicates the type of filter 2 & 3 = UV, 4 = IR, 5 & 6 = solar
1.2 Filter number: indicates the filter of the lens between 1.2 and 7 for spectacles and goggles
Without numeric code: Welding filter
2: filter for ultraviolet rays, the recognition of colours may be altered
3: filter for ultraviolet rays, good recognition of colours
4: filter for infrared rays
5: solar filter without specification of infrared
6: solar filter with specification of infrared
D Identification of Manufacturer eg. (D = Pulsafe)
1 Optical class 1 = +/-0.06 dioptres permanent wear
2 = +/-0.12 dioptres sporadic wear
3 = +/-0.25 dioptres occasional work with prohibition of permanent wear
F Symbol for mechanical strength (F for low impact - see others below)
No symbol = minimal solidity (resistance to the application of a 22mm steel with a pressure of 100N)
A = impact at high energy (resistance to the impact of a 6mm steel ball at 190m/s)
B = impact at medium energy (resistance to the impact of a 6mm steel ball at 120m/s)
F = impact at low energy (resistance to the impact of a 6mm steel ball at 45m/s)
S = increased robustness (resistance to the impact of a 22mm steel ball at 12m/s)
(F)T Symbol of resistance to high speed particles at extremes of temperature (-5°C, +55°C)
8 Symbol of resistance to short term electrical arc
9 Symbol for non-adherence to molten metal and resistance to penetration of hot solids
K Symbol for resistance to surface damage by fine particles
N Symbol for resistance of fogging of lens
R Symbol for enhanced reflectance
O O = original lens V = replacement lens
3 Symbol for resistance to liquids
4 Symbol for resistance to large dust particles
5 Symbol for resistance to gas or fine dust particles



so my peltor solus specs have the markings 2c-1,2 aos 1 ft
which mean,
2c, is a uv filter
aos - suposed to be the manufacture
1- is the optical class, (1 is for perminant use)
f - is the impact rating,
t - is the extreme temperature rating -5 - +50deg c

the frames also have specific markings which should be taken into consideration
frame markings
D Identification of manufacturer (D = pulsafe) aos pletor
166 Standard number
xxx Field(s) of use
3 Liquids (droplets or splashes)
4 Large dust particles (dust with a particle size >5μm)
5 Gas and fine dust particles (gases,vapours, sprays,
smoke and dust with a particle size <5μm)
8 Short circuit electric arc
9 Molten metals and hot solids
F Symbol for mechanical strength
(F)T Symbol of resistance to high speed particles at
extremes of temperature (-5°C, +55°C)
H Symbol to indicate that the eye protector is
designed to fit a small head
2.5 Number indicates the highest lens scale
number(s) compatible with the frame

but in simple terms, if the lense is f rated and no damage it will be fine!

[Caveira]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

Just remember, some sites are more touchy about eye protection than others and it's not unknown for some to refuse to let you play in any that aren't SPECIFICALLY tested for airsoft use, even if the rating is higher than required to get the airsoft rating. A lot of the time, this is due to the frames and arms not being capable of sustaining the same level of damage as the lenses.

[wires]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

As far as I am aware there arnt any specific specs for airsoft, just the en166

[North West Outpost]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

If the glasses are made to withstand the impact from flying fragments of stone and other hard surfaces while being cut, by either sthil cut off or floor saws. Im fairly sure they will stop a bb.

[Caveira]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

Dragon Valley, for example, seem to have found some!

Perhaps it's a ballistic rating that they look for, I'm not sure, but I know that some eye protection that's sold by retailers states that they aren't approved for airsoft and these are the ones that may be dis-allowed.

Don't forget, the fact that you sign a disclaimed doesn't mean that you can't sue the site if you are seriously injured. If they let you play in glasses that aren't safe, then you could claim they were negligent and that overrules the disclaimer under the Unfair Contracts Terms Act. To protect themselves, the sites sometimes specify exactly what level of protection is required, so that their insurance will cover them. After all, site insurance is to cover them against you suing them, not to protect you directly.

EDIT: midas, the arms may not be able to withstand a hit even if the lenses can. If the arms fail them you're left without eye protection. At least, that's the reason DV give.

[Tiercel]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

If you had to replace the lenses every time they took a hit, most people would go through several pairs per game! :eek: so thankfully not!

[Evansy]

Re: using safety googles form airsoft..

Personally I went with a pair of Guarder's at £30.00 and my eyes are definately worth that never mind the fact that they come with 4 different lenses for differing conditions.

Could you do me a favour and look at your Guarder's for their safety rating?

While you're doing that I'll tell the good folk here a little story as to why I only wear my guarders while I'm driving to and from airsoft sites instead of while I'm at the sites playing.

About 4-5 months after getting my guarders I was playing at a woodland site and got hit in the glasses and guess what happened. The lenses came out with the impact. Now I know some of you will say "well you must not have got the lenses in right" well I can tell you now that I did. What had happened is the frames had worn with the constant changing of the lenses to the point where all it took was the repeated shock of a few bbs hitting them for the lenses to pop out. Thankfully I didn't suffer any injury but ever since then my guarders have been driving glasses rather than playing glasses.

Now If I want different coloured lenses I simply buy another pair with that colour lens.

As with other forms of protection, such as cycle helmets and whatnot- shouldn't you replace your eye protection if it takes a hit? Reason why I ask is that it's ok saying protection will protect against 'X' amount of force but I'm pretty sure they will only protect for one hit against that kind of force, anything at the same force afterwards would not be protected against? Fair enough airsoft guns probably don't have the power to even remotely damage a good pair of protective glasses, but if you shot them with a .22 (see example above), then shoot them again I'm pretty sure the glasses would defect after the second impact... For yet another example, bullet proof glass is only bullet proof for a certain number of shots before it starts to become penetrable, therefore I'm dubious when people say eye protection has served people well for how ever long... Does that mean those people have been hit several times on their eye protection and it still functions? Or does that mean that people have never been hit (yet) on their eye protection and simply assume it's therefore a good set?

EDIT: Milhouse has just answered my question lol.

I mentioned that I used Bolle Silium's for years. That wasn't the same pair.
I went through about 3-4 pairs before moving onto goggles. Before every game I'd check them for damage, the usual place they'd break was around the bridge of the nose as the lens was riveted to the frame and the lens would start cracking there. Once I saw that crack it was time to get a new pair.