Always think safety!!

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DLrocket89

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Dec 29, 2012
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Hi everyone,

Had a safety whoopsies today I thought I'd share.

I shoot USPSA Production with a CZ75 SP-01 Tactical that I modded out pretty extensively (pretty much anything that Cajun sells is on it). I did all the install myself, so after a full season and probably 3k rounds downrange, I wanted to see how the internals were holding up, plus give the pistol a complete "deep clean". (Sidenote - everything inside looks the same as it did after 200 rounds when I put all the Cajun parts in).

I had the pistol receiver stripped completely bare and then went to hose it down with Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber. Good stuff, I've used it to great success elsewhere. So, I tied a string through some part of the frame so I could avoid getting the cleaner on my hands. I started spraying away...about 10 seconds into it, the stream of the cleaner rebounded and shot full bore into my not-safety-glasses-wearing left eye.

I've never felt a burn like that in my eye. Fortunately I was doing this at my mothers house, and she's a nurse of about 30 years experience. The water rinse wasn't doing any good...as I'm sitting there shouting about how much it hurt my mother asked me if what I was using was oil based. Yeah, probably, it's petroleum distillates. Without hesitation, she puts a bottle of Dawn dish soap in my hands. "I know it sounds crazy, but wash your eye with dish soap".

Never before today did I expect it would feel good to intentionally shove soap into my eye, but holy smokes did it feel good and work well!! Apparently Dawn is good for this, they advertise that they donate soap to help animals in oil spills...apparently it's gentle enough that it doesn't hurt wild animals, or your eyes much.

My eye was red for awhile, put some allergy eye drops in 10 minutes later, as all was well.

What I learned today? Pretty much every activity you do with a firearm should be done with safety glasses on. Even cleaning the bare reciever that isn't even in the same room as the barrel and slide. And always trust your mother, even when pure crazy is coming out of her mouth, lol.

Dustin
Port Washington, WI
 
I learned years ago to keep baby shampoo under the kitchen sink.
In training years ago We had to take a full spray of Freeze +P pepper spray in the face. Two hours later when I got home my face and eyes were still burning. The instructor had told us to cover our bodies with Dawn dish washing soap before getting in the shower because, if we didn't more then gust our faces would be burning. I think that is the cleanest I have ever been.
 
I once was cleaning a brake drum and had brake parts cleaner splash off the drum and into my eye. I flushed my eye for about 30 minutes and it didn't help much, I guess I needed to use Dawn.

Anyway, I keep cheap safety in my gun area as well and use them when I'm using high velocity aerosol spray cans.
 
Unfortunately, many of us learn the hard way. Glad you didn’t have eye damage.

Getting into the habit of wearing eye and face protection can be a hard learning experience. I wear eyeglasses all the time due to my poor vision so I always have “some” protection but damaged eyeglasses can be expensive.
So, here is my recommendation:
- Always try to work on your guns at the same location. Bench, table, desk, where ever.
- Keep safety glasses / eye protection at your work location / station.
- Keep nitrile gloves at your work station. I like 6 mil gloves.
- Put a small mirror up at your work station so when you see yourself or catch a glimpse of yourself without eye or face protection perhaps you’ll be reminded to wear it.

Thanks for that info on the dish detergent. I had never heard that before. :thumbup:
 
Thank you dlRocket for sharing that experience. Glasses and dish soap for petroleum products in the eyeball.
 
I once had a problem getting the fuel line off a rochester 4GC carb. The line was under pressure, and when I got it off, about 1/4 quart shot in my face. At least I didn't catch on fire, but I know how you feel.;)
 
Glad to hear your eye wasn't damaged.

Gun Scrubber is seriously potent stuff and stinks to high heaven, so I only use it on really dirty guns.

I should put a little bottle of Dawn in my shop first aide kit.
 
I was mincing super atomic weaponizable chili peppers for home made salsa once. I washed my hands very thoroughly, or so I thought. Touched my eye and the burn was on. It was tearing up uncontrollably for an hour, and was red for a day. The reason I touched my eye was because it was tearing up from the tiny piece of the pepper I'd eaten. My lip and tongue swelled up anywhere the pepper touched, and now the oil was in my eye. It looked like I'd lost a scrap.

Safety glasses while cleaning guns, check. Honestly I prefer to not use spray can anything, because I tend to clean guns in the living room on my coffee table.
 
Not being able to hear is not nearly as bad as not being able to see. Eyeballs are delicate things. Glad you did not suffer real damage.
 
Thanks for all the replies and stories everyone. A few days after the fact and my eye is still doing well, so I'm going to say that I came out of it unscathed. Fortunately.
 
I've had exactly one situation where safety glasses prevented something from hitting me in the eye while shooting. I can think of several cases where safety glasses either did prevent, or would have prevented, something from hitting me in the eye while cleaning/working on guns.

Back when I used to wear hard contacts I actually bounced a small spring off of a contact lens while working on a pistol. That was a strange feeling. Then after that strange feeling faded, the stupid feeling set in.

Wearing safety glasses while cleaning/working on guns is very important.
 
Glad your peepers are okay, and I trust you learned your lesson? I've worked construction before, so I know how annoying the safety glasses can be. I've also had Lasik eye surgery, and after having my vision restored, appreciate my sight that much more. Annoying or not, I am pretty reliable with the safety glasses.

Just had a little debate about gun safety on Youtube. I was watching a video on the death of Brandon Lee during the filming of The Crow in 1993 and I noticed in the comment section that someone said it was all the fault of the props people and Massee (the actor who shot him) bore no responsibility. I pointed out that firearms safety is everyone's responsibility and that the incident would never have taken place if simple, common sense safety rules had been adhered to. People familiar with firearms know you unload and show clear to hand off a firearm and you immediately check the condition of the firearm yourself upon receiving it. The lax attitude towards gun safety, that belief that it is someone else's responsibility, is what killed Brandon Lee.

It is easy to become complacent sometimes with things you are familiar and comfortable with. Our industry is constantly scrutinized, as are we, as participants in this industry. Every ND that ends up on social media, every accident, every child that finds a gun and shoots a friend is instantly available to thousands of viewers in our technology age where eight year olds have iPhones. We have to be diligent. Gun safety is a religion.
 
Consider learning how to clean a gun without aerosol solvents. I have been cleaning guns for over 35 years and have never bought or used a can of aeorsol anything. They are a huge ripoff. I hope your eye will heal up fine.
 
Ouch! Many stories in casual circumstances that may result in something life changing be that hands, eyes, respiratory, etc. Even some of the most common situations can bring lessons the hard way.

Last week wife mentions to take the trash out. I'm mosquito food and my allergies to them result in scarring welts about 1" diameter. I tend to put pants, long sleeves and repellent when going out. This time thinking this was early in the day I went out in shorts and T-shirt. Stopped for a moment to water one of the potted plants. I was in the yard for less ~3 minutes. That evening I had 6 swelling patches. Wife commented, you knew but went into it anyway.
 
one time as a kid I was going to spray some ants with a can of OFF. Like I said I was a kid dont ask. But then the can lid was pointed at my face when I sprayed it full into my eyes. I remember they burned for half a day, and every time I openned my eyes everything looked orange or red. That sucked.
Another time I was working on fence and pounding a staple. Upon striking the staple a piece of metal flew back and hit me right in the Uvex safety sunglasses I was wearing. Cracked them right where my eye would have been.
 
The importance of eyesight cannot be over-stressed. I wear glasses in all things gun-related; from shooting, to cleaning, to reloading, to hunting. Even if you aren't actually pulling a trigger, having a branch or twig poking your eye while hunting upland game, for instance, can be a very painful and sight-robbing experience. Ask me how I know...
Thanks, DLrocket89, for reminding all of us how precious our eyesight is and how important it is to be vigilant about its protection.
 
I quit using anything aerosol when gun scrubber splashed back and ruined a lens on my glasses. I also learned to wear a hat while shooting , had a hot case land between glass frame and cheek. Safety glasses will fit over small frame glasses or use safety shields.
 
Same experience with an old pair of glasses, was the break free cleaner that did it, the coating started peeling. Also had that type cleaner start to eat away at some rubber grips once too, but it got the metal clean.
 
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