How loud is the .38 ?

T

ThePain

Inactive
Since I'm stuck in CA, and I cannot get the .22 DA revolver I want, I was considering the S&W 686 with either 4" or 6" barrel. I would probably only shoot .38 loads out of it. So my question is this: Is the .38 load out of a S&W 686 significantly harder on the ears than a .22 handgun?

Additionally, how much difference does 2" or barrel make on the noise?
 
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Your handle suggests that it should not matter!!! :eek:

Actually, I don't know.
I gave up shooting without hearing protection many moons ago!!
Back then, they had no idea what the effects of even just the crack of a .22 had on the hearing of pre-teenage youths!!

I can say from experience that it was not good. At almost 50, I am now hard of hearing!!!! :(

My advice is to always wear hearing protection!!

If you have to use your revolver in a defensive situation, there will be at least temporary hearing loss!!
 
I tried a very mild wadcutter load out of my model 66 ONCE without ear protection to answer this question for myself. The answer was, it's MUCH louder than a 22, even at the lowest power loads--I'll never shoot a handgun again without ear protection, at least not intentionally (or, of course, in the gravest extreme).
 
I was teaching my GF to shoot eons ago, and loaded up some lead wadcutters down waaayyy low, they just barely made it out of the barrel.
Several times I had to check the gun to see if something was stuck in the barrel.
Funny thing is, since I had hearing protection on, I couldn't hear the report, it sounded just like a squib load.
I lost patience and took off my muffs.
It was a lot easier to hear the report, and I didn't have to check the gun after that.
After a box or two of those my ears started ringing a little, so I put my muffs back on.
I went through my CCW training, and there was a gentleman there that had a ported taurus snubby .38 spl.
I brought a 357SIG and his little .38 was MUCH louder than my sig.
They weren't even +p or anything, and they sounded like magnum hunting rounds.
You might be ok with minimal hearing protection with light loads and a non-ported 6 inch barrel, but I wouldn't recommend going without for any reason.
They're your ears, man.
 
Just a Question since you all wear hearing protection what are you going to do if you need that pistol say in your house or car It will be very loud and will most likely mess up your 2nd shot. Everyone should fire their SD weapon in a enclosed area to learn what to expect. You will be suprised and 1 round will be enough. You 357 and 44 mag guys will most likely start thinking about a different weapon. Don't tell me in a SD situation you won't hear the gun. Maybe round #2 but you will hear #1.
 
Thw funny thing about a 38spl is that the report sounds similar to a rifle out of a 2in barrel. It might not be as load as a rifle but it does have a sharp crack compared to a pop of an autoloader. 22lr pistols are loud too, enough to make wear hearing protection.
 
Just a Question since you all wear hearing protection what are you going to do if you need that pistol say in your house or car It will be very loud and will most likely mess up your 2nd shot. Everyone should fire their SD weapon in a enclosed area to learn what to expect. You will be suprised and 1 round will be enough. You 357 and 44 mag guys will most likely start thinking about a different weapon. Don't tell me in a SD situation you won't hear the gun. Maybe round #2 but you will hear #1.
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If the SHTF, chances are you will be so adrenalized that you will not even know how many shots you fired, much less how loud it is, until your clip is empty. Ooops, speaking in semi terms......until your cylinder is empty. As to what I'm doing if I need my pistol in my house or car, I'm going to use it. There's no way I'm saying "Hold up a sec, I gotta put my ears on".

And a .38 is much louder than a .22. And even that some .22s are loud. You'll want to wear hearing protection. I admit that dad and I never wore hearing when we were plinking .22s out on the farm. But I always do at the range.
 
I always double my ear protection. Its just not worth the risk. Look at the stats.

"A clap of thunder from a nearby storm (120 dB) or a gunshot (140-190 dB, depending on weapon), can both cause immediate damage."
http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm

http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml

.25 ACP 155.0 dB
.32 LONG 152.4 dB
.32 ACP 153.5 dB
.380 157.7 dB
9mm 159.8 dB
.38 S&W 153.5 dB
.38 Spl 156.3 dB
.357 Magnum 164.3 dB
.41 Magnum 163.2 dB
.44 Spl 155.9 dB
.45 ACP 157.0 dB
.45 COLT 154.7 dB
 
ThePain,

Just what .22 revolver did you want? You might be able to get one from a private party deal.

As a general rule and previously stated, it's not a good idea to shoot without hearing protection (even if you're just using the spongy disposable earplugs).

In an open air space, the .22's report from a handgun can be tolerable. A 2" barrel will make more noise than a 4" however. Moving up to almost any centerfire caliber will dramatically increase the noise.

Normal conversation is around 60 Decibels (Db)
Trucks, tractors or subway noise is about 90 Db
A rock concert and a .22 are about 120 Db
Air Raid / Disaster sirens measure 130 Db
Centerfire handguns measure in the 150 Db range
Commerical Jet aircraft taking off also are 150 Db

Keep in mind that it is the loudness of a sound (Db) and it's duration that causes hearing damage. A household blender is about 85 Db and a few seconds of that are okay. But exposure to 8 hours of that noise could cause permanent hearing loss.

Loss occurs when the hairs in the cochlea (inner ear) are bent or flattened by the pressure waves of a sound. Loud noises over 140 Db for even short durations damage the hairs. Repeated exposure results in more hairs damaged until only the loudest of noises can be sensed.

Also, the older you are the more likely you are to experience a larger reduction in hearing due to a loud noise. A single 150 Db gunshot may cause a 5% hearing reduction in a teenager, but a 10-15% loss in a 50 year old. And damage is cumulative. That is, exposure to loud noises slowly "wears out" your hearing. A teenager playing loud rock music or attending a lot of concerts could end up at 21 with a hearing loss equivilant to the average 50 year old. :eek:

Protect your eyes and ears. You're only issued two!
 
Any one that shoots for fun with out protection is a fool.

Every met some one that fought in WW2, and I mean really fought.
HOW IS THERE HEARING?????
There is not that much damage from going out and shooting a cylinder full of 38. But I dont know how old you are but from some one that has hit 50 :(
I would suggest that if you like music start wearing them for everything that has loud noise with it
I even us them when I mow the lawn. Most large mowers are as loud as a 22 LR each time the cylinder of the mower fires.
Hearing loss occures from exposure of noises.
Attack Turtle (thank you) went to the trouble of finding data on the noises.
I have perminant damage in my left ear when I was working on a USN P3 Orion anti sub plane. IT has a small jet engion for electrical power that produces only 200 HP.
I was standing 15 feet away when the hearing protection was knocked off my head. Its 195db, 15 seconds perminantly damaged my left ear. It was measurable at the time.
I now have a perminant ring in that ear. 30 years later.
So be stupid or be smart. Your choice, but youll wish for the smart when your older and want to listen to Pink Floyd and all you hear is RINNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
 
huh? what? maybe tomorrow?!

my great uncle fought in WW2. he cant hear at all...nor speak, but you have to point or yell 2 ft away from him. at my job its around 140db, hydrolic pumps running and gas units blowing off (plastic factory), no repuirement on hearing protection, but in regrind its 185db it is repuired in there. i use plugs when i shot my semi CZ .40 its damn loud, you learn real fast to use them. after the first 2 or 3 rounds my ears ring.
 
Loudness

This table might help: Remember, the sound level doubles every time the sound goes up 3db.

db Environmental noise
0 Threshold of hearing
10 Normal breathing
20 Rusting leaves
30 Whisper at 30 feet
40 Quiet street
50 Interior home noise
60 Conversation
70 Crowded restaurant
75 Kitchen appliances
80 City traffic
85 Hearing damage possible
90 Lawn mower
100 Chain shaw
120 Threshold of pain
120 Siren
134 .22 LR rifle
140 Jet engine at take-off
150 .410 shotgun
152 .22 LR pistol
153 20 gauge shotgun
155 .223 rifle
155 .25 pistol
156 12 gauge shotgun
156 .30-.30 rifle
156 .308 rifle
156 .44 Special revolver
157 .22 Magnum pistol
157 .45 ACP pistol
158 .380 ACP pistol
158 .38 Special revolver
159 .30-06
160 9mm Para pistol
163 .41 Magnum revolver
164 .357 Magnum revolver
164 .44 Magnum revolver

Granted the duration of the exposure has some effect also. However the accumulative effect of even a 22LR can add up over a long period. Wear Hearing Protection and to the dickens with the hairdoo.
 
michael t said:
Just a Question since you all wear hearing protection what are you going to do if you need that pistol say in your house or car It will be very loud and will most likely mess up your 2nd shot. Everyone should fire their SD weapon in a enclosed area to learn what to expect. You will be suprised and 1 round will be enough. You 357 and 44 mag guys will most likely start thinking about a different weapon. Don't tell me in a SD situation you won't hear the gun. Maybe round #2 but you will hear #1.
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I am sorry, but that is 100% wrong. It is well documented that in a violent encounter the shooter will likely experience Auditory Exclusion. This means you will not hear your shots or other sounds around you.

And exposing yourself to something 1 time will not teach you "what to expect". It will simply put you at risk for hearing damage.

There is no military or LE agency or team that intentially exposes their people to unprotected gunfire.
 
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Thanks for all the replies.

And for the gun, I was interested in S&W617 that holds 6 shots. I don't want the 10 shot variety. I was considering getting the ruger sp101 in a .22 since it is the only .22 DA revolver that you can buy in CA that holds 6. Maybe I'll just buy the 686 and shoot nothing but .38s out of it.

And please, noone give me grief about wanting the 6 instead of the 10. I've had enough of the gun shop guys trying to push the 10 shot down my throat.
 
I've been using muffs over plugs ever since I had a plug fall out on me when I was shooting 3" mag buck out of a 12 gauge... right ear rang for hours..

As far as the 6 shot not the 10 shot goes, more power to ya! I tend to shoot 5 shot groups out of revolvers, don't need more than 6 (5+1 empty) :D
 
The .38 is significantly louder than the .38. As everyone else has stated both require hearing protection.

Ozzieman, my grandfather fought all the way from Omaha beach to Germany and his hearing is normal.
 
I'll throw out this analogy. Last weekend I fired approx. 50 rounds from 12 gauge shotgun while quail hunting (without hearing protection). At one point about mid-afternoon, I used 2" barrel .38 with a CCI shot load to finish off a wounded bird in the bush. Right ear hurt and was still ringing an hour later. :(
 
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