What are tactical glasses? Which firm to buy tactical glasses: a review of manufacturers

Today, for many soldiers, tactical glasses are not a luxury, but a necessity. But if the US Army is fully equipped with means of protecting individual parts of the body, many Russian servicemen can not dream of protective glasses. Nevertheless, this is the only effective method of protection against dust, fractions, fragments, and sometimes even bullets of .22LR caliber. Let's talk in more detail on this topic and consider the most popular and recognizable manufacturers.

Common Points

Lenses of shooting glasses are made of a special material - ballistic polycarbonate. As you may have guessed, it has high strength, therefore it is resistant to mechanical damage. Usually, to improve the protection of the eyes from ballistic polycarbonate, inserts are made from the side and from the bottom, which prevents splinters from getting on the sides. In addition, sometimes modified versions are produced that protect a large area of the face. By the way, perhaps you did not know, but rifle or tactical glasses are often called "NATO points". Every year, experts try to expand the scope of these products, so today they are often used in everyday life.

Tactical glasses with diopters

Specialists of the company 5.11 "Tactical" were the first to develop a custom design of protective glasses. In fact, engineers have managed to expand the scope of such devices. Employees of the company have fully preserved their strength characteristics and significantly worked out the design and comfort level. In principle, some tactical glasses can not be distinguished from ordinary sun glasses. But they not only protect against ultraviolet, you can go to them for hunting, fishing or cycling and shooting. Your eyes will be safe. You can not be afraid that if they fall they will break and be scratched or fall off you. The fact is that the fasteners on these glasses are very reliable, and they practically do not scratch and do not crack. It is worth paying attention to the fact that almost all modern tactical glasses with diopters. This means that even if you have poor eyesight, this is not a problem. Such glasses will replace your normal, corrective vision. For example, if you have a -2 vision, then you need "NATO points" for 2 diopters, and so on.

About Oklie

The firm, known as Oakley, is considered the leader in the tactical glasses market. Back in 2007, the management bought back the ESS organization, which from the beginning of the 2000s was considered one of the largest in this field. As a result, Oakley began selling ESS brand safety glasses. Today they are supplied not only to the military, but also to firefighters, as well as rescuers. But, in addition, often such points are acquired by hunters, fishermen and just lovers of an active lifestyle. For example, in Ukraine "NATO points" are officially in service with the SBU. Another sphere of application of such means of defense is airsoft. Despite the fact that there is no question of firearms, the speed of the balloon flight is enough to damage the eye. In principle, Oakley - tactical glasses, time-tested. Most models protect not only from fragments, but also from bullets.

ESS ISE Overview

This model of glasses was released back in 2001. However, even today, its popularity has not lost, although it survived a large number of modifications. All of them mostly touched the handles, which they tried to make more practical, durable and comfortable. The ESS ISE includes a smoky, transparent and yellow lens, as well as an elastic case and a special rub. In addition, an instruction is attached. You can not ignore the level of protection that these glasses provide. Here we use a 2.44 mm lens made of lightweight polycarbonate. Even without additional coatings, this solution allows you to completely protect the eye from the effects of ultraviolet radiation. It can be said that ESS ISE tactical glasses are an excellent solution for those who want to protect their eyes, but do not have enough money to buy more expensive models. Today the price for such "NATO points" is about 50-70 dollars.

About REVISION

This is one of the few manufacturers of tactical glasses, whose products were officially recommended for use during the conduct of hostilities by the US Army. Today, Revision Military is an international company that has been on the market for more than 13 years. In 2002, the first developments of the company were shown and demonstrated in action. They immediately attracted the attention of many. A year later, the company wins a tender for the supply of 80,000 tactical glasses of the US Army. A little later gets another tender, already for 110,000 copies. As a result, tactical glasses Revision entered service in Germany, France and the United States. Currently, it is the main competitor of the organization called ESS. The first released Revision Sawfly model differed from the ESS ISE in that it had a large area of protection and practical archways.

Tactical anti-fragmentation goggles

Usually it's about masks, because they provide better protection. If we talk about the strength characteristics, much depends on the thickness of the lens. However, in most cases it is not possible to provide protection from direct hit of a bullet. Although some models withstand a shot from a small distance of 12th caliber and .22LR. But the protection from flying fragments - this is quite another matter. If a shot from a smoothbore shot into the forehead or jaw does not lead to death, then such damage, but in the eyes, can contribute to the fact that the soldier will be disabled. It makes sense to pay attention to models that have lenses made of 3-layer polycarbonate. The outer layer should be of high strength and protected from scratches by a special coating. The inner layer must be protected from fogging. There are several methods used to solve the problem. In one case, a special coating is used, in the other case a special opening for forced ventilation is used.

What should be the lenses

Of course, much depends on what material will be used to make the lens. As noted above, ballistic polycarbonate is in high demand. Although it is worth noting that often used and other, less durable material. These glasses can be considered a real fake. Firstly, they will not provide any protection against the fragments, and secondly, if the lens breaks and gets into your eye, the consequences can be the saddest. Based on this, we can say that you do not need to lead to cheap fakes. The most inexpensive options can not cost less than 1,500 rubles. In the priority it is not worth buying a model cheaper than 2-3 thousand. Another important point is the bundling. Agree, very annoying if the lens breaks, and there is nothing to replace it with. To avoid such a situation, always pay attention to what is in the kit. Attached are additional lenses. Usually there is one set of transparent, one - yellow and smoky. Total 6 lenses, or three sets. Do not forget that it should be tactical glasses with interchangeable lenses, otherwise they will not be of use.

Bolle products

This manufacturer comes from France. It can not be said that this is a highly specialized organization. However, it is one of the most famous manufacturers of optics in the world. The company is engaged in manufacturing of sun-protecting, tactical, mountain-skiing and other types of glasses. In addition, 120 years of experience make themselves felt, so the products are mostly of high quality, but the price corresponds. Nevertheless, in the assortment you will not find models that protect the organs of vision from flying fragments. For example, Bolle Axis will reliably protect your eyes from low-speed fragments. The polycarbonate lens withstands the impact of a metal ball of diameters of 6 mm and a weight of 0.85 grams at a speed of 45 m / s. This is clearly not enough for use during the conduct of hostilities, but more than enough for cycling, hunting, fishing, etc. In principle, tactical Bolle Axis glasses are relatively inexpensive and will cost about 1500 rubles.

Safety glasses Daisy

The Daisy brand is known to every American who loves an active lifestyle. The most popular glasses from this manufacturer among cyclists, as they provide reliable protection of the eyes from sand, dust and other small particles. For example, the model "Daisy C5" has an acetate frame and photochromic glasses made of polycarbonate. It is interesting that the kit provides 4 sets of replaceable lenses. This allows you to adjust to any level of lighting. As for the feedback of consumers about this company, they are mostly positive. Buyers talk about the high quality of the product and its strength characteristics. Lenses are scarcely scratched, and it's extremely difficult to break them. Tactical Daisy glasses can be advised to professional riders or hunters, who are extremely important to see a clear, undistorted picture without sunlight. The cost of these points is different, the C5 model will cost about 2-2.5 thousand rubles, and C4, C3, C2, C1 - a little cheaper.

Protective mask ESS Influx

In 2015, ESS is going to release a new generation of safety glasses, which will replace the sensational ESS Profile. This ballistic mask has a number of significant differences from its predecessor. For example, here for the first time passive ventilation is used, which is more effective. In addition, the developers managed to achieve more complete compatibility with various night-time devices. There was also the possibility of convenient adjustment of glasses with a protective helmet worn . But a few words need to be said about ventilation. The AVS system is interesting in that it is extremely simple, but at the same time as efficient as possible. A small switch on the upper frame of the glasses allows you to switch the lens to the "open" or "closed" position. If you open it, the lens moves slightly away from the frame, which allows you to increase the airflow and eliminate fogging. If the switch is put in the "closed" position, the mask reliably protects the eyes from wind, dust and other particles.

Something else

A few words should be said about ESS Eyewear. This is a very expensive equipment worth 8,000 rubles. Nevertheless, the effectiveness is simply amazing. There is also a two-level ventilation system from two AA batteries for 150 hours of operation, and a lens with a thickness of 2.6 mm, protecting against flying fragments. In principle, these are very popular points among the military. Many people identify high-quality ventilation Turbofan. Its essence lies in the fact that cold air enters through the lower opening, and the warm air is diverted through the upper one. In an easy mode, the ventilation operates for about 150 hours. Of course, this pleasure is not cheap, so it hardly makes sense to buy such glasses for fishing or cycling. But fans of airsoft, they will be very handy.

Conclusion

Now you know what tactical protective glasses are and what they actually need. Today in many stores you can find such means of protection, but not all of them are able to protect your eyes, remember this. Always be accompanied by an instruction in which it is written, from which the lens is made and what its strength is. Although it is extremely important that you see through these lenses, as without them, that is, they should not interfere or distort the picture. But if for an ordinary person this moment may seem not so significant, then for the military this is almost a key factor. In addition, the availability of interchangeable lenses is extremely important. So, in bright weather, transparent glass does not give any effect, but gray will create comfort to your eyes. Remember that tactical glasses should be as easy as possible. Usually they do not weigh more than 100-200 grams. In principle, it's all on this topic.