.357 mag too loud for home defense?

F

FullEffect1911

New member
I intend to use a 686 4" .357 magnum for home defense, so at my range i fired a shot without hearing protection so i would kind of know what to expect if i was ever in a defense situation with no hearing protection. Nearly jumped out of my boots... wasn't expect that high a level of sound. **BOOM!! Riiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngg.** So I figure that the defening sound of a .357 mag would be a bad thing to happen to someone in a defense situation. I really like the round and would prefer to use it in a defense situation, but i feel it may be too deafening.

So the question is:
1) Is there any loads that aren't as loud as winchester 110 grain jhp? (not the defense round i would use... this is just for comparision)
2) Would the adrenaline levels be so high in that situaion that you wouldn't even notice? (actually reminisent of hunting... I never seem to notice the blast when i am hunting.)
3) Would some sort of hearing protection be recommend for home defense like regular ear plugs or something else? (any ideas?)
4) Just use .38 specials?

Any advice would be appreciated, as i would really like to stay with the magnums.
Thanks in advance.
 
This was discussed back a while ago in another thread, I think regarding carbines.

If you are in a defensive shooting situation, you won't hear the shot or feel the recoil. Just like hunting. Someone brought up the technical term, "auditory exclusion".

One poster said that he would be afraid and hesitate to shoot because he would have concerns about permanent hearing damage. Your brain won't register the noise, but your ears still will.

Would that stop me??? Absolutely not! I doubt it would stop, or even make anyone hesitate.

I'll answer your question the same way I responded to his. If I have a choice of being assaulted or killed, or damaging my hearing shooting the intruder, all I have to say is "WHAT?!?!?!"

Although it has a major muzzle blast, the 125gr Federal or Remington JHP .357mag is the highest performing manstopper. I'd stick with that load.
 
Too loud

From my experience, based on a whole lot of years as a Police Firearms Instr., ANYTHING you fire in an enclosed area is going to hurt. The bigger the gun, the greater the pain. However, if you should ever need to fire in a life or death situation, I don't think the amount of noise created will matter to you. As a matter of fact, my home defense gun is a rather old Rem. 870 12 gauge. You wanna talk loud...........? I keep it loaded with #6 bird shot to reduce wall penetration, which is the main drawback of a .357 At bedroom ranges, that old 870 it will just about cut the B.G. in half.
Use whatever you have confidence in, and let the noise be damned. Hearing aids are cheaper than funerals.
 
Having never been in a home-defense shooting situation (thank God!) before, I can't answer in a personal experience sort of way. But have you ever shot a deer or an elk or other big-game animal? Or even a duck or grouse or pheasant? I realize that these situations occur outdoors, but even so a high-power rifle can be pretty deafening, and yet I do not recall hearing the shots except in a sort of abstract way. I suspect that the stress and chaos of an indoor, home-defense shooting would render the noise level the least of one's worries. I'd not be in the least bit worried about using a 357Mag as a home-defense round. My guess is that the noise and muzzle-flash (the short-barreled ones really give off a blazing flash in the dark) would be much more menacing to the intruder than to you.
 
My impression is that the .357 (and .44 mag for that matter) have a higher frequency report than other guns, including shotguns. There would likely be some permanent hearing damage, but that's better than dead. IIRC, Mas Ayoob wrote about an officer who discharged a magnum inside a car and was permanently deafened; again, better than dead.

For HD, I would go with a +P .38 load. Not only is the blast less, but there is less risk of rounds going through walls. You can also consider Glasers and Magsafes; they were originally designed for use aboard aircraft.
 
I agree the 357 is a poor choice for a short barrel home defense gun. The muzzle blast with light bullets is tremendous. My wife refers to them as sinus cavity cavein specials. I recommend a larger caliber that uses lower pressure, 45 acp / 45 long colt. The muzzle blast is a fraction of the 357's and the rounds are known as fight stoppers.

However since you already have a 357 finding a better load for your use is the idea to follow. See the link to a good 38 special load.

http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=340407&highlight=milk
 
I'll answer your question the same way I responded to his. If I have a choice of being assaulted or killed, or damaging my hearing shooting the intruder, all I have to say is "WHAT?!?!?!"
Click to expand...

I read this all the time on these boards, and its ok logic if you are carrying concealed in town and are forced into a shooting inside a building like a bank or convenience store because you are unlucky enough to be there when a robbery goes down.

But its just nonsence when you are at home and can choose to load with a quiter round that will still be effective and is less likely to damage your hearing and that of your family members that may also be in close proximity.
 
.357 mag too loud for home defense

IF A .357 MAGUNM IS ALL YOU HAVE...USE IT!
I know the .357 has a sharp crack but, I don't think it's to loud. It might even scare a "home invader" into making a fast exit.
 
"For HD, I would go with a +P .38 load. Not only is the blast less, but there is less risk of rounds going through walls."

Personally, I've also got a 4" 686, and I'm taking the .38 +P route as well. I'm not as concerned with the rounds going through the walls (no kids), but I do think that the lower blast, less flash and lower recoil of the lighter load will give me tactical advantages over the .357. I'm of the impression that the current crop of .38 +P SD/HD loads are more than adequate given the modern bullet designs like the Gold Dots I've got loaded up.
 
Well i also have a sw1911 which i wouldn't hesitate to use for HD, the real reason i posted is because i would prefer to use the revo. I feel that the .45 acp is close to the man stopper the .357 is (not trying to start a fight here, thats just what i feel). So i'll most likely either use .38 specials, or just use the .45's. Thanks for the replies, i appreciate it.
 
I do not have a dedicated home defense gun. My guns are locked up in the safe, except for the one which happens to be on my hip at the end of the day. I have a handgun on me all day, every day, until bedtime. At that time, it goes into a quick release lockbox near the bed.

Lately, I've been carrying a 4-5/8" Ruger Bisley .45LC. Basically because it's new (to me anyway) and I'm enjoying it. It's loaded with 225gr LSWCHP Federal loads at 900fps. Not the best round, but it will definately do the job. Do I feel handicapped by the single action? Absolutely not. I can put the rounds where they need to be when I have to (or even when I don't have to for that matter).

My HD guns range from a little AMT .45 Backup with 230gr Hydrashocks (completely reliable gun, like all of them I own), to various S&W 9mm DAO's, S&W Sigmas in either 9mm or .40 S&W, or Smith or Ruger DA revolvers in either .357mag (125gr Federal Classic loads) or .44 mag JHP's.

If I'm just around the house, I'll have something small and light (in weight, not necessarily caliber). If I'm walking in the woods that day, I'll have something larger, bulkier and more powerful since CCW is not a concern. Open carry is illegal here, and even if it was legal, I wouldn't do it anyway.

Basically, I know I can hit with anything I own. If I'm not confident with it, it goes down the road (like my Sig P229 DAO .40 and Beretta 92FS did). If I find that I've bought a gun that's not reliable, I get rid if it immediately. I see no use for owning a gun I can't stake my life on.

Well, enough rambling. Probably the best gun I have for HD, if I was to dedicate one to it, would be my S&W SW40G Sigma. Since it has a Trijicon night sight and a Streamlight M4. If that happens to be out, great. I rarely take it out for just the purpose of HD though.

I don't see a real problem with .38+P's for HD, but the way I see it, if you have the capability to use a more effective round in your .357, use it.

To the comment that auditory exclusion will take care of the problem, well, it really won't. It will in the case that the sound won't register, but your ears will still be effected. Protect them at the range every time without exception, but at home, protect the rest of your body, and your family first. Concern yourself with possible hearing damage later.
 
I've started keeping my .44Spl for the bedside gun. After looking at those coffee cups called Gold Dot Hollow Points (hey, smoking's uncool, so "flying ashtray" is out :p ), I decided that if I have to defend my home, a revolver full of them is more comforting than the smaller .38s.

The Gold Dots are also impressive staring out of the chambers. :eek:
 
I guess you could slip on a pair of active hearing protectors (if you had the time); but the blast of a 357 indoors is a severe drawback to the round. The same can be said for any high pressure round. The deafening crack is just not worth it. That is one of the things that is always overlooked as to the advantages of rounds like the 45ACP; very low pressure; very low flash and blast= a superior weapon for the dark/indoors. Use 38spcl's in that 686; or the next time you won't know there is an intruder in the house since you won't be able to hear him.
 
I too was a firearms instructor and I agree with Yankee Doodle that anything fired inside is going to be loud. But consider the alternative. ("Pretty please don't hurt me, mister bad guy...")

However, the idea that a shotgun loaded with #6 won't penetrate two layers of dry wall is, well, wishful thinking.

So is the idea that in times of stress noise won't bother you. Let me relate what happened to one of my students.

My instructing days were a long time ago. On the range, we always used hearing protection, usually plugs or Lee Sonic ear valves. Muffs were coming in, and some of the guys had them.

The issue gun was a .38 Special M&P (now the Model 10) but personal guns could be carried if they fired the .38 Special ammo. We used wadcutters on the range. One of the guys carried a .357 Magnum (Model 27) and loaded it top up with 2400. One night on patrol, he looked down an alley and saw some folks loading stuff into a truck from the back door of a TV store.

He called out something like, "Cease and desist from your nefarious activity" and drew his gun. One of the BG's expressed his irritation at the interruption by letting off a shotgun charge that went about 30 feet over the cop's head. Naturally, the cop replied in kind with the .357.

An instant later, (by his own account) he had dropped the gun and was on the ground, holding his ears and crying. The alley was 10 feet wide, with brick buildings on either side. That full house .357 echoing off the walls was so bad the guy spent time in the hospital and I don't think he ever recovered full hearing. (The BG's took off and were caught later by the State Police.)

After that, I made the trainees fire a couple of shots without ear protection just so they would be prepared for the sound of their own guns (OSHA would never allow that today, of course.)

Jim
 
On that r-r-r-i-i-nnnnnggg

Any time a loud noise causes you to hear a ringing sound you have damaged some of the hair cells in your ears.
 
I've fired or been present when several different handguns and one rifle (.30-30) were fired indoors (different times). My hearing is fine. :)
 
my dad recanted a tale of having 155mm cannons fired over his head during Vietnam (so that he was basically in front of the cannons) and his hearing is poor but he isn't deaf. I somehow doubt that a .357 mag is louder then a 155mm cannon.
 
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