Here We Go…
Today I’m launching a new series of articles dedicated to modern equipment and the new operational demands that define my profession.
Every day I receive dozens of messages from people asking about the tools I use: from technical specifications to brands, from recommended materials to practical advice on how to make the most of equipment correctly and effectively.
That’s why I’ve decided to start a technical journey where I’ll be sharing insights on the latest-generation tools I use in my daily work.
This is the first article in the series: let me know in the comments which aspect of the equipment you would like me to cover next.
Protect to See, See to Decide: The Strategic Value of Next-Generation Ballistic Eyewear
An Absolute Pillar of Modern Equipment
PART 1
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Introduction
There are aspects that, in my profession as a field specialist and above all as an international professional trainer, have never been negotiable. One of these is eye protection.
Over three decades of activity, between operational employment in complex and often non-permissive environments and professional training at the highest international levels, I have spent most of my life and my profession working with firearms. Over the years, I have been struck accidentally or otherwise on the body and face by shrapnel, bullet fragments, projectile jackets, broken 12-gauge ammunition, urban debris lifted by detonations, residues from explosive charges for breaching, flash bangs and even cartridge cases from machine gun belts.
Yet, despite all this, my eyes have never suffered damage. The reason is simple. I have always worn technical protective glasses, without exception and without compromise, choosing exclusively professional instruments of the highest quality.
Anyone who works with firearms knows this truth well. It takes only an instant to lose everything. A ricochet, a metallic fragment, a splinter invisible to the naked eye but capable of causing devastating injuries. After life itself, the eyes are the most precious asset to protect and the risk involving them is constant, concrete and high.
Without adequate protection, even a poorly handled jam, a mechanical malfunction, a defective cartridge or a simple rebound of debris can turn into an extreme danger. The use of professional technical tools such as ballistic glasses, either neutral or with filtered protective lenses, is not only an essential safety tool for any activity with firearms but is also an instrument capable of exponentially improving technical performance, both in training and in real-world contexts.
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Vision and sight: two dimensions not to be confused
The first aspect we need to dissect to begin to understand the importance of this type of tool for the quality and level of technical performance is to grasp the difference between sight and vision.
Sight is a biological function. It represents the eye’s ability to receive light stimuli and transform them into electrical impulses that reach the brain. It is a basic sensory process linked to the anatomical structure of the eye, the retina, the photoreceptors, the focusing of the lens and the ability to discriminate shapes, colors and contrasts. In other words, sight is the mechanism through which we perceive the external environment.
Vision, on the other hand, is much more. It is a complex cognitive process, the active elaboration of that information by the brain. It is what allows us not only to see an object but to interpret it, discriminate its details and place it in a context. Vision is the set of neurocognitive functions that integrate visual perception with memory, attention, experience and decision-making capacities.
For a human being, sight is the dominant sense. About 83 percent of interaction with the environment occurs through it. Even more relevant, neurocognitive studies show that up to 98 percent of rapid decision-making processes are based on visual stimuli. This means that our ability to discriminate a detail, to focus on a particular, to recognize a threat or to read a change in the environment can determine the difference between an effective action and an irreversible mistake.
When we talk about performance with firearms, this becomes crucial. The quality of vision directly influences decision-making and reactive capacity, reaction times, accuracy and the ability to discriminate a threat from an obstacle or a non-hostile presence. This is where technical lenses make the difference. They not only protect the eye from impacts, splinters, debris and environmental agents such as wind, sand and dust, but they also improve the quality of vision, optimizing contrast, regulating brightness, reducing glare and enabling faster focusing even in difficult conditions, such as indoor urban environments, law enforcement vehicles or scenarios with variable lighting.
Sight and vision, therefore, are not the same thing. The first is a biological fact, the second is a cognitive achievement. And for those who work with weapons, understanding this difference means protecting not only their eyes but their ability to decide, react and survive. Because on a single visual stimulus we may have to make complex, irreversible decisions for which we will remain responsible for the rest of our lives.
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Discriminating details: the key to rapid decision-making
To discriminate a detail literally means to determine the difference between an effective response and an irreversible mistake.
In shooting and in the professional use of firearms, the ability to focus quickly, to adapt to variable lighting conditions, to recognize silhouettes or micro-movements in the shadows is what allows one to decide in milliseconds.
Vision is never neutral. It is influenced by light, glare, reflections, humidity, even by the chromatic variations of a nocturnal urban environment illuminated by headlights or artificial lights. This is why the use of technical protective glasses is not only a physical barrier against splinters and fragments but a real sensory amplifier.
I have always been convinced that it is details that almost always make the difference, and that is why in everything I do I try to investigate them to the fullest. I therefore believe it may be useful and perhaps interesting to know what characteristics and technical aspects I personally look for in my professional eyewear.
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Lens technologies: protection and vision in the service of performance
The task of a professional lens is not only to stop but also to help see better in the real world.
Light and glare management. Well-designed filtered lenses reduce glare and veiling luminance, improve the signal-to-noise ratio and therefore the discrimination of details. Experimental evidence shows that specific tints can improve contrast sensitivity and reaction times. In particular, yellow filters in certain lighting conditions can accelerate response and increase contrast, although selection should always be individual and task-specific. Polarization and anti-reflective treatments also contribute to a “cleaner” perception in strong luminance.
Practical examples of lens types for chromatic filter and environment. Transparent for low light or indoor conditions, evening or night training, or work under artificial light. Neutral gray for strong daytime luminance without significant color alteration. Bronze, copper or amber to emphasize silhouette-background contrast and edge definition in backlight or haze. The choice must be task-driven and validated in the field.
Essential features. High luminous definition, with transparent anti-fog lenses guaranteed even in artificial environments saturated with humidity, air conditioning, respirators and masks, especially in vehicles. Selective filters, with colored lenses such as amber, bronze or CAPTIVATE™ technology, capable of increasing contrast and visual comfort, allowing silhouettes to be distinguished in backlight, glare or low light. Protection and real ballistic standards, with glasses compliant with ANSI Z87.1+ or MIL-PRF-32432A, tested for high-energy fragments and complex technical and operational needs.
END OF PART 1
