From: gmk@falstaff.mae.cwru.edu (Geoff Kotzar)
Subject: Re: Hearing damage from shooting w/o protection
Organization: Case Western Reserve University

##  Do those of you who have had to fire guns w/o protection feel you have
##suffered hearing damage from it?  Did you notice right away, or only 
##after time?  How would you describe the pain in your ears from shooting?
#
#I have hearing damage from firearms.  
#
#Wear your earmuffs!
#
#[MODERATOR: Amen to that. I'm even fussy about having my foam plugs
#in when plinking with .22, which often draws some sh*t from some of
#the old time shooters around the club.  Of course, when I respond in
#kind, they often utter "hey?"...  Actually, I think I loose more of
#my hearing to the constant background noise in my office (disks, fans,
#etc.)]

While you are on the subject of safety equipment, I thought I would pass
on an experience from about 3 weeks ago.

A friend who is a big bore fanatic finally received his .475 Linebaugh.
Not wanting to jump right in at maximums -the staring load was 1200 fps
with a 425 gr slug- we put together some case forming loads at 900 and
1000 fps. He is right-handed while I am left-handed. When he fired the
gun there was no problem except for some spitting to the right side.
When I fired the gun I got hit in the face with "something". I chalked
it up to muzzle blast. Wrong. After 25 rounds I looked in a mirror and 
my right cheek looked as if a swarm of fleas had had a picnic. Small
pieces of lead had actually broken the skin.

The problem is still undiagnosed, the gun was test fired by the maker
before shipping. He suggested we run a couple of more test before returning
it. 

Now to the point. I have worn glasses since I was a kid so I do not even
think about them. Small pieces of lead, or powder for that matter, that
can break the skin can damage the eye. And if a problem like this can
crop up with a hand built custom gun it can also occur with a mass produced
one.

For those of you that do not usually wear glasses, get a pair of shooting
glasses and use them.

Geoff Kotzar