Thanks, Josh.
It's pretty clear Z80.3 is only for sunglasses and fashion eyewear, not sporting, industrial or military ballistic impact protection.
I've contacted the retailer to let them know they shouldn't be selling Z80.3 goggles for Airsoft (which is implied when they are offered for sale in an Airsoft store), regardless what their supplier tells them about their safety rating. I don't fault anyone for taking a supplier at their word, but when presented with evidence to the contrary, obviously they should cease selling those items. I assume they'll gladly do the right thing and quickly.
But if they don't, I'll post an update and request some help from this community.
And again, if somebody more versed in this field has information saying Z80.3 is fine for Airsoft, please let me know ASAP before I make a jackass of myself.
By the way, it looks like Airsoft will be getting its very own eye safety standard. From the
Wikipedia entry on Airsoft:
Wikipedia.org wrote:[M]any organized groups of airsoft players and fields require that eye protection fully seals the area around the eyes, and also meets or exceeds ANSI's Z87.1-2003 goggle standard for eye protection (resists 3 joules of impact energy without damage). However, it is not uncommon for players in less organized games to use shooting glasses, which do not provide complete protection from projectiles. Some players will opt for paintball goggles, which are held to higher impact rating standards, ASTM's F1776. [2] It is worth noting, however, that Z87.1-2003 rated goggles are specifically intended for use in industry and manufacturing, and are not for use in sports.
According to ANSI publications as of June 2006, The ASTM is currently developing a more specific standard for the sport - ASTM Z1535Z - Standard Specification for Eye Protective Devices for Airsoft Sports.