Not all sight protectors are 100% effective in protecting your optics or sights from the impact of airsoft BBs.
A sight protector’s effectiveness depends on such factors as:
- The type of material used to make the sight protector
- The brand or quality of the material
For instance, if your sight protector shatters from a BB shot from close-range with high velocity, it isn’t a very effective sight protector.
Let’s delve into how these factors affect the effectiveness of sight protectors.
Table of Contents
- The Type of Material Used to Make the Sight Protector
- The Quality of Material Used to Manufacture the Sight Protector
- Do You Need A Shoulder Patch For Your Airsoft Team?
The Type of Material Used to Make the Sight Protector
The kind of material used to make a sight protector is key in determining the functionality of your sight protector.
The most effective sight protectors are made from materials that are more resilient than a simple plastic screen.
Therefore, the materials commonly used to make sight protectors are:
- Polycarbonate
- Acrylic
Expert Tip: Compared to glass, polycarbonate and acrylic lenses offer advantages such as optical transparency, impact resistance, and low weight.
Characteristics of Polycarbonate Sight Protectors
Polycarbonate is a naturally transparent amorphous thermoplastic that goes by several brand names, such as Lexan, Cyrolon, Merlon, Tuffak, and Zelux.
This material is used when transparency, high impact resistance, high reliability, and performance are key product requirements.
Due to its robustness and impact strength (250 times of standard glass), polycarbonate is often used in bullet-proof or bullet-resistant glass, and ballistic eyeglasses.
So, it stands to reason that a polycarbonate sight protector won’t crack or break easily when hit by an airsoft BB under normal airsoft conditions or in the most intense CQB shots.
In other words, premium quality polycarbonate sight protectors can resist firmly even against airsoft BBs traveling at a higher velocity. In fact, polycarbonate is stronger and more secure than acrylic, meaning polycarbonate sight protectors are more effective than acrylic sight protectors.
Pros of Polycarbonate Sight Protectors
- Tough
- Stiff
- High impact resistance
- Transmits light almost as well as glass
- Can withstand 500 fps or above point blank
- Can withstand the most intense CQB shots
- Forms no silvers or “spider webs” even when exposed to violent impact
- Polycarbonate is 30 times stronger than acrylic
Cons of Polycarbonate Sight Protectors
- More expensive than acrylic sight protectors
- Easier to scratch than acrylic
- Can turn yellow over time due to UV rays
Characteristics of Acrylic Sight Protectors
Acrylic, also known as plexiglass, is commonly used not only in sight protectors, but also as an alternative to traditional glass. Although acrylic is used in 99% of most sight protectors, it’s more brittle than lexan or polycarbonate.
Consequently, it’s more likely to chip, crack, or break upon impact. However, acrylic has better scratch resistance than polycarbonate.
Pros of Acrylic Sight Protectors
- High level of impact resistance (17 times the impact resistance of glass)
- Greater resistance than polycarbonate against scratching
- Less expensive than polycarbonate sight protectors
- Greater UV resistance than polycarbonate
- Easier to cut than polycarbonate
- Does not yellow over time
Cons of Acrylic Sight Protectors
- More prone to cracking than polycarbonate
- More likely to chip than polycarbonate
Expert Tip: The plastic used on most cheap shields is often acrylic.
The Quality of Material Used to Manufacture the Sight Protector
The quality of the construction material can affect a sight protector’s strength, durability, and effectiveness.
For instance, despite polycarbonate being one of the strongest plastics available, not all polycarbonate sheets will prevent an airsoft BB from damaging your optics or scopes.
A low-grade polycarbonate or acrylic sight protector may shatter easily or get spider webs upon impact with an airsoft BB, regardless of the distance or FPS of the airsoft BB.
With this in mind, it’s important to ensure that your preferred brand is using premium quality materials and read through a brand’s customer reviews.
For instance, the Black Lion team states that their sight protectors are made of unbreakable polycarbonate, meaning they use only high-quality polycarbonate. Here’s a customer review talking about how the Black Lion sight protector performs:
“….used this guard for a good while now……..It has survived many shots…..A must get for every airsofter that doesn’t feel like risking their scopes!”
S. Engels, Netherlands.
You can also determine the quality grade of polycarbonate by comparing quotes from different suppliers. If there is a significant difference between two quotes or prices for the same polycarbonate specifications, then it’s highly likely their quality will differ as well.
Expert Tip: The lowest price is attractive, but it’s usually never the best quality.
The following table provides an overview of the different types of sight protectors from the Black Lion brand, as well as their features.
| Type of Sight Protector | Features |
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Black Lion Sight Guard Diamond loose shield
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Black Lion Sight Guard Stealth loose shield
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Black Lion Sight Guard Diamond complete set
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Black Lion Sight Guard Stealth complete set
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Expert Tip: All Black Lion sight protectors are not only high-end, but their impact resistance is also 250 times stronger than glass.
Black Lion sight protectors have been developed with the utmost care and tested under extreme conditions to ensure optimal protection for your aiming device, with guaranteed unbreakability under normal airsoft conditions.
Do You Need A Shoulder Patch For Your Airsoft Team?
If you’d like to promote your airsoft squad, bring a little more cohesion to your team, or increase your visibility as a team, the Black Lion sight guards also come with a shoulder patch. Wearing this black and white patch is sure to give your team a sense of pride.
Below are the features of the Black Lion shoulder patch:
- PVC material
- Visible 3D effect
- Velcro on the back
- 70 x 70 mm
If you love package deals, visit the Black Lion website to see what they’ve got in store for you.
“…The patch is also awesome! Really high-quality rubber that is very durable and looks good.”
Nathan H
Hi, I am Otto and as a kid, I loved being outdoors.
So while the toys have changed, the outdoor spirit still lives strongly.
Whether it is mountaingbiking, running or airsoft, I enjoy it all.