noise/blast in a defensive situation.

Have yopu ever fired your defensive weapon in a confined space to chack for noise & b

  • Yes, I occcasionaly fire without hearing protectors to train & prepare myself.

    Votes: 6 10.0%

  • Once, I accidentally left the hearing protectors off.

    Votes: 14 23.3%

  • Once, deliberately to see how bad it was.

    Votes: 9 15.0%

  • Never, I don't want to risk hearing damage.

    Votes: 29 48.3%

  • Its un-needed, I'll just slip on protectors during an actual event.

    Votes: 2 3.3%
  • Total voters
    60
  • Poll closed .
W

wogpotter

New member
I'm curious how many who advocate load big boomers for HD/SD deal with the noise & blast in a confined space, such as a room in a house.

*EDIT TO CLARIFY*
When I say "big bad boomers" I'm referring to loud firearms, not any kind of fantasy explosive device.:rolleyes: This is in response to a lot of posts I've seen advocating up to & beyond .357 or .44 magnum & even .308 winchester as a "defensive" round. I am in no way asking about the illegal use of military munitions.

Actually I'm more curious how many actually know how loud that 2" .357 is in a 12X15' room, hence the poll if I can get it to post.
 
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Let off a .357 in an SP101 indoors one time without ears on. Tinnitus for three days; splitting headache for hours. I don't recommend doing this deliberately.
 
Pretty much what I expected!
I'm curious though if the blast is that overpowering how much on an impediment do you think will it be in a real world situation?
 
You need to be real careful here.

To be effective they need to be big enough, as in flash bangs used by LE and the Military. (which of course are exempt from fed explosive laws).

Anything large enough to be effective could and will be considered a "destructive device" and possession of such could get you in big trouble.

That artillery and grenade simulators used by the military aren't really that effective as flash bangs but I've seen several people get convicted of possession of a destructive device for having them, and big time conviction for using a destructive device when they are used.

Again they aren't really that effective as a flash bang, as any GI using them in training will tell you, but under the right circumstances can be destructive.

An example, a grenade simulator in a mail box turns a case of vandalism into a big time felony.

Edit to add: I might have mis-read your post or read it before the edit. I though you were talking about a boom/flash as opposed to using a firearm.
If that's the case disregard my post.
 
This has been a recent topic on here. I'm a firm believer in auditory exclusion during stressful, adrenalin filled events. Your mind will be too busy dealing with other things to be bothered by the loud noises emitting from your firearm.
 
Auditory exclusion means you don't notice so much; however, nerve damage is still done - you just don't notice at the time.
 
Auditory exclusion means you don't notice so much; however, nerve damage is still done - you just don't notice at the time.
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Oh I know, the tiny hairs in your ears will still be damaged. I am just saying that the noise will not affect you as it will not seem as loud since your brain will be processing other information.
 
Right; I would just opine that if one can find a defense round that combines good effectiveness with a bit less blast, it's not a bad idea. (I prefer subsonics for this reason, though it varies by gun.)
 
I have never had to fire in self defense, but based on the experience of others, I think that noise would not be a concern at the moment.

Those who say they would put on hearing protection do not, I think, quite grasp the idea; you can't call an equipment timeout when a BG is shooting at you. No guys with striped shirts and whistles, either.

Jim
 
When I was first shooting I didn't know better. After 1 shot I (and my ears) had a better understanding of the word concussion. The rest of the rounds were ejected and I went looking for some hearing protection. If I ever have to use the gun in SD I won't worry about my ears, though. Cest les vie.

This is the kind of thing you'll never really fully appreciate unless you do it - just don't keep doing it and learn with a small round and not some magnum. Kind of like the Grand Canyon - until you see it it doesn't register.
 
Actually I'm more curious how many actually know how loud that 2" .357 is in a 12X15' room, hence the poll if I can get it to post.
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I forgot to put my hearing protection back on and let off a single Federal 125gr .357B indoors out of my model 60, which is a pretty hot and LOUD round. My left ear rang really bad for a solid 6 months and still rings slightly to this day, also I suffered slight high frequency hearing loss in my left ear. Sold off the model 60 for an older 640 in .38. This is why I do not advocate the .357 for home defense.
 
Wog, been there done that. I used to belong to a hunting club, we had an old club house, they were going to tare down. I used to go in, and shoot rats in it, without hearing protection. Ill tell you this, I shot 22 revolvers and semis,9mm,(357 4 inch barrel) and a 12 gauge shot gun with the 1/2 inch brass target loads. The 357 was the loudest of the handguns, BUT, no where near what the 12 gauge was, and it had a 28 inch barrel. So if your worried about noise, think twice about a shotgun for home defence. I know alot of peaple dont recomend it, but you might want to think about a 22 semi auto, there the quietest of them all indoors. But then, im used to loud noises. Ive spent my life working in machine shops, alot of times with no hearing protection. I guess its just what your used to, or not used too. As for hearing damage, if I have it ? It may have very well been caused, by listening to loud led zeplin music, when i was younger !
 
I was sitting in the cab of an old Jeep pickup when working for a neighbor, sometime around '81 or '82. We were heading to bale hay after lunch and he spotted a woodchuck at the edge of a bean field, probably 200+ yds away. He stopped the truck sideways in the road and grabbed is .30-.30 off the rack in the back window, chambered a round and sent the woodchuck spinning. Loudest sound I've ever heard.

NEVER without good reason will I fire a round without hearing protection, even with my old Marlin .22.

$.02.


EDIT: My brother when in the Army left off or forgot his hearing protection while on a qualifying shoot. It has been 23 years and he still knows why his ears ring...
 
I experienced a .45ACP @ 890 fps discharge in an enclosed room and, although uncomfortable, did not notice any side effects.
 
James K, the point isn't whether noise is something you should worry about in extremis, the point is that one can choose a more forgiving system ahead of time. For instance, (barely) subsonic 147 in 9mm, or .45acp etc, for home defense.

As far as hearing protection at home, if time allows, retrieving some electronic muffs from the nightstand isn't a bad idea.
 
Is it just me, or do the .45 and .44s have less sharp reports than the .357?
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It's not just you, the .357 is inherently a very loud round. After my incident I limit .357 only to target shooting, plenty of other calibers to get the job done that wont do nearly as much damage to the ears as the .357.
 
In a self defense situation, you will not be effected by the sound of the of shot.

While I have never shot in self defense, and I would guess that most hunters will tell you the same thing, you don't hear the sound of the gun going off when taking game. I would suspect that in a self defense situation, you won't hear it either. Just because it doesn't register it doesn't mean that it doesn't do damage however.
 
That 357 is sharp and it gets right in your ear. 327 is probably worse.I can't recite the scientific lingo but the pitch is a factor to me. That big boom from 50 cal BP or 45 Colts does not hurt as bad as that 357. I'm sure it's all bad but that sharp pitch is downright painful.
 
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