Eye Protection: What Are Your Eyes Worth?

The one question that is asked repeatedly to justify the cost of Tier I eye protection is what are your eyes worth? Well, those R11.83 cheapies should do the trick, right?

When we started sport shooting, I went out and bought a set of ESS ICE for everyone in my family. I did not want to be the dad that bought himself a nice set of eye wear and let the wife and kids risk injury wearing the cheapies. Just buying all the Tier I EyePro for my family hurt: my wife and I have 5 children. I must admit that my wife and two daughters used their prescription glasses as eye protection for a long time. We kept putting-off buying the expensive Rx inserts for the aforementioned ESS glasses.

Recently, my whole family moved over to Elvex OVR Specs. Almost all of us wear prescription glasses, so the move makes sense. They fit comfortably over our existing glasses, but how good are they really? I needed to find out. I am also guilty of judging other people’s eye protection on the range, and sometimes telling them to up their game. Because, what are your eyes worth? Hence I decided to do a real life test.

What did we test?

Over the last few months I have been buying up cheap sets of eye protection from various stores whenever I encounter them. The cheapest I bought was R11.83, and they were not ANSI Z87+ rated. The most expensive were Tork Craft at R84.47 per set. Our clear Elvex OVR specs from TacQM clock-in at R150-odd per pair. My optometrist (Verster & Vorster in Randhart) kindly donated four sets of prescription glasses: two with glass lenses and two with polycarbonate lenses. I also bought two sets of el-cheapo Chinese sunnies. The type that you find sold on street corners, or the local Chinese shop. Finally, I used a pair of scratched ESS ICE as the control Tier I eye protection reference datum.

How did we perform the test?

So, how was I going to perform this test? Almost everyone else did their testing at 35 yards (32m). I decided on ramping it up, and picked a distance of 20 meters.

The logic behind the chosen distance is based on 9 meters being the minimum distance you can shoot steel in IDPA. By doubling that, as the offending ricochet needs to travel back to you, and adding 2 meters for ease of calculation, gives us 20 meters. Yes, I know that energy is absorbed, projectiles lose weight, and they get deformed. Among other variable factors. In the event it is required, I had two sets of each test pair and I could move back to 35 meters for the more traditional test. But, this was not the case and we actually moved forward to 10 meters to really up the stakes.

I used my Winchester Defender 1300 with S&B 28g 7.5 Gold Trap. Why this combination? Well, I have one licensed in my name and had these shells on hand. And number 7.5 was small enough to do the required work. But I also had to keep my costs down. Based on my Defenders short barrel, I’m guessing somewhere around 1200fps projectile velocity at 20 meters. This is way above the required testing velocities.

How do the safety ratings work?

First, a little bit about ANSI Z87+ (the plus is the important part). Take a gander at this link for more info on how ANSI works, but basically you are looking for Z87+ and not just Z87.1 rated. The + indicates high velocity impact, which in shooting sport is considered the minimum requirement. The glasses I had were a mix of unrated eye protection, Z87.1, Z87+ rated, cheap sunnies and scrips.

The goal of the test

The object was simple and as follows: to test whether or not a set of glasses would stop a shot from penetrating through. If the glasses broke, but no shot penetrated, the test is considered to be successful.

Note that at these distances, we were testing at levels far exceeding ANSI requirements. That said, this is no way intended as a real scientific test. I am just a guy with a shottie and some cheap eye protection to destroy.

Methodology summary

Shotgun: Winchester Defender 1300.

Distance: 20m (and then 10m on some).

Shot: S&B Gold Trap 28g #7.5 (US).

We decided to start with the cheapest and then work our way up.

Eye protection test results

Safety Eyewear

Single piece clear.(No model number) R11.83/pair.

No ANSI safety rating on packaging.

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot.
• At 10m stopped 100% of shot, both arms broken. Visible trauma on head from the force of the blast. There was a small crack on the one lens, and a tiny bit missing, but no shot got through.

Tork Craft Model B5152

ANSI Z87.1 rated.

• At 20m glasses/frame shattered. However, stopped 100% of shot entering the ocular area.
• Not tested at 10m.

Safety Eyewear

Clear with black brow and arms (no model number) R18.00/pair.

No ANSI safety rating on packaging.

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot.
• At 10m glasses shattered and allowed shot into the left ocular area.

Safety Eyewear

Green with black brow and arms (no model number) R18.00/pair.

No ANSI safety rating on packaging.

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot.
• At 10m glasses snapped on nose and a small piece broke off. No shot entered the ocular area.

Tork Craft Model B5234

Clear R70.61/pair.

ANSI rated Z87+

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot.
• At 10m stopped 100% of shot, arms snapped off and there is visible trauma on the face.

Tork Craft Model B5311

Silver R 84.47/pair.

ANSI rated Z87+

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot. Frame snapped and a small piece of frame was embedded in the face below the brow. Lenses were intact.
• At 10m the broken lens was taped back. 100% of shot was stopped. Severe trauma was evident. Left lens was recovered 10+ meters away. Both lenses were intact.

Elvex OVR Spec III Clear Model SG-57C

R150/pair.

ANSI rated Z87+

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot.
• At 10m stopped 100% of shot, both arms broke off. Glasses were catapulted over the berm and recovered 15+ meters away.

Note: The Elvex was the only pair of glasses that we were able to rebuild from the bits picked up. I have a complete and unbroken, albeit thoroughly shot unit, after the test.

Cheap Sunnies Plastic

No rating. Made in China.

• At 20m both lenses shattered, plastic lens shrapnel and shot entered the ocular area. Right lens perforated, carrying plastic and the pellet into the eye.
• Not tested at 10m.

Cheap Sunnies Glass

No rating. Made in China.

• At 20m both lenses failed to stop shot, glass shrapnel and shot was found embedded in both eyes.
• Not tested at 10m.

Glass Prescription Lenses

No rating.

• At 20m both lenses shattered into very small pieces. Multiple large and small glass fragments were found in the eyes, as well as shot.
• Not tested at 10m.

Polycarbonate Prescription Lenses

No rating.

• At 20m both lenses shattered, allowing shot to enter the ocular area. Plastic shards were also embedded in the eye.
• Not tested at 10m.

ESS ICE Smoked lenses

ANSI rated Z87+

• At 20m stopped 100% of shot.
• At 10m stopped 100% of shot, lens did shatter.

Conclusions

• Most eye protection in this test was shot twice, once at 20 meters and again at 10 meters. This is an extreme scenario with speeds and trauma not encountered in normal shooting range ricochets.
• All the eye protection sold as safety glasses stopped 100% of shot at 20 meters, regardless of their safety rating (or lack thereof).
• By feeling the inside of the lenses, I noticed the very first lens had slightly deeper dents caused by the shot. With all the other glasses that passed, the difference in shot depth is so negligible that discerning any difference is difficult.
• It is important to understand that even if the lens broke but no shot entered the eye, the safety glasses performed as required.
• Cheap sunglasses, whether glass or plastic, are not suitable as eye protection.
• Prescription glasses, whether made from glass or polycarbonate, are not suitable as eye protection under any circumstances.
• If you wear prescription glasses, the most cost effective option is to use ELVEX OVR Specs. Alternatively you can spend a few thousand Rands on Rx inserts for your “insert cool guy, MILSPEC, Tier I brand name EyePro here”.
• I will no longer judge people’s eye protection: as long as it’s EyePro and not sunnies or scrips.

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Written by Sean Freeman.

Sean is the director of Livingseeds. He is also a keen sport shooter and firearm ownership rights activist. Sean loves getting new people involved with shooting sports, and his whole family shoots.