Hearing Protection for HD???

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PUMC_TomG

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Who here has some type of ear protection that they would use in a Home Defense situation...

It dawned on me while firing my .270 w/ BOSS the other day without ears at the range that I could be fairly incapacitated with a lot of noise in a bad situation... especially in an enclosed room. So does anyone keep anything even as much as a single earplug next to their weapon? What about ANR headphones? Just something I was pondering.
 
I've been meaning to ask a similar question to our veterans:
Did you wear hearing protection during your conflicts?

I bet you a dollar that not one of them did and I bet you another dollar that not one U.S. citizen shooting in self defense, was able to don hearing protection.

But still, a very interesting question.

:cool:
 
Never having fired a shot indoors or in anger, but having hunted for years before I got smart and started caring about my hearing loss, I'd bet that you probably wouldn't hear much but a pop due to audio exclusion (or whatever its called) even tho your ears and hearing would suffer.

When hunting I never feel the recoil or hear the shot, tho my ears did ring after shotgunning several birds on one load (3 rounds max)

What did you say?:D

I don't know why my GF gripes when I listen to the stereo... I can hardly hear the high freq. any more.

Adios
 
Really good electronic ears might work. Dunno.

I'd much rather be able to hear any 'telltales' in a homeD situation than screw myself by worrying about potential loss of hearing.
 
'lemme get this straight:

it's 0'dark 30 AM, the dogs are going nuts, the wife just kicked me awake, and I've finally figured out we have a major intrusion, of one type or another, and, MCP that I am, after all, she did wake me up and that's no minor task, I gotta go "investigate".

So, pick up the current carry, think about getting one of the rifles/shotguns, and figure out how I kill this idiot without doing one of the dogs.

Now I'm supposed to worry about hearing protection???

Seriously, though, I wore protection when I fired, or was associated with such (assigned to an 8" gun battalion) as far back as the 70's, and this isn't a new thing.

So far as I know, though, a single event doesn't do it, it's repetition.

In any case, you have to live through the first event to even bother worrying about later problems.

As for me, given the above and a target, I'm emptying the weapon!
 
Hearing protection is critical indoors.

Sportsmans guide has a special on the electronic headphones for $59. if you're a member it's $52. I finally invested in a couple of sets and one is next to the toy for "night shooting" just in case. You can adjust sensitivity and hear everything around you unless you're firing. In an inclosed space you can blow out your hearing pretty quickly so it's a good investment. You want to be able to hear if you need to distinguish between BG's and if for some unlikely reason a LEO shows up just in time!:what:
 
If my life is on the line the last thing I am worried about is my hearing. I will gladly live without my hearing in that situation.
 
I keep my Peltor Tac 7's beside the bed with my Streamlight Scorpion and my P99 or USP45.

I figure it only takes a second to slip them on and the amplification gives me an edge in detecting the BG's location in the house.

I'm not going to bother with them if the BG is at the bedroom door however. ;)
 
Massad Ayoob has been promoting the use of

active hearing protection for home protection for years. Its both a matter of protecting your hearing but more importantly YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR THEM BEFOUR THEY HEAR YOU. Its an advantage you can't ignore well worth keeping a set by the bed next to the gun, spare ammo, flashlight, etc.
While I don't agree with everything Ayoob comes up with this makes sence to me. I already use them in the field when hunting I need all the hearing I have left.
It just makes good sence not to lose more when I don't have to.
 
Arrgh!!! why don't the gov't just legalize sound supressors?
 
My chief concern about the hearing protection isn't when faced with one opponent in my house.

The problem arises when there is more than one BG and after your first shot your hearing will be out the window more than likely. I'd like to be able to hear the other guys noises to get an idea of his location/movements if he is out of my line of sight. One boom probably won't destroy yer hearing... but I would like to maintain full use of all my senses in said situation.

For instance, in the military quite often the advice is to put hearing protection in the ear opposite the shoulder you fire from. Since most of the muzzle blast and noise is absorbed by this ear, you get a quieting effect when a foam plug is inserted. Yet the other ear left open is more likely to pick up yelled orders. The ear next to the buttstock also receives less of a pressure blast and muzzle noise due to it's positioning in line with the receiver.

Just some more thoughts, clarification on my post. :)
 
Hearing protection for HD is a very good idea, especially electronic muffs that actually allow you to hear better in many cases than you could be hearing without the muffs on.

While most folks don't get a chance to put on hearing protection, some do. If you look at footage from the North Hollywood bank robbery, you will see that many of the cops that responded to the scene did show up with muffs and shooting glasses and not just the SWAT guys either.

Keep in mind that at O'dark thirty that whatever awakens you may not be a fast moving crisis. In other words, you might hear the glass in a window break in another part of the house. You could have your gun and muffs on before the burglar even manages to gain entry. I wear mine whenever I inspect unusual noises in the night. I also like to wear my yellow tint shooting glasses as well since they make it a little easier to spot motion or movement than the unaided eye, plus they offer protection from eye damage.

Being concerned about hearing protection should not screw you in a HD situation, sanchezero. If you have the opportunity to put it on, then you should. It might turn out awfully nice that after the first few rounds are fired that you will still be able to hear soft noises that your opposition without hearing protection won't be able to hear. Remember that sound is one type of target indicator clue that can be very important just as visual clues may be.

benewton, as far as you know, a single event doesn't do it, but repitition does? I am sorry to say that you are mistaken if you feel that hearing damage is not going to be caused by a single event. First of all, a single shot indoors is not going to turn out to be a single hearing event, but many. What makes shooting indoors so detrimental to the ears is that the sound pressure waves impact the ears multiples of times beginning with the actual shot report and then each time that pressure is reflected off walls and back to the shooter. The end result is that the "single" event because many events and strung out over a much greater amount of time than just the original report alone.

Also, if you are involved in a gunfight inside, then not only will your ears be suffering for each of your gunshots, but also from those of your intruder.

You are correct in that repetitive loud noises and long duration loud noises will promote hearing loss. This is because hearing loss is cumulative. So, you can get hearing loss from long durations of somewhat elevated noise levels or from short duration extremely high noise levels, such as from shooting indoors without hearing protection.

Meow, suppressors are legal, at least in most states, but they do require permiting as I recall.
 
Peltor TAC-6 is in the bag with my 629. No way I'll light that thing off without eyes and ears.

Electronic muffs are nice because you can turn up the volume and actually hear better. For those so inclined to wear both earplugs and earmuffs, the TAC-6 's volume control allows you to hear over your earplugs; when the gun goes off, the clamping circuit works to eliminate the sharp noise and you have a full 50 dB of attenuation ... and then you can hear again :)
 
I think it's a great question, I've wondered this myself. Any police officers on the forum? Given that cops can find themselves in a gun battle, I wonder how they handle the noise? Don't tell me it doesn't hurt.:uhoh: In Peabody, we had a shoot out when some men tried to rob a diamond merchart in front of the Halmart building. They were never caught and it was like the Old West. Poor people at the dentist were literally crying they were so scared. They just started firing at each other with no concern of children nearby. You can imagine the noise.

I'm already hearing impaired in both ears (German Measles) so it's a big concern to me especially given how much it hurts to go to the range. People with nerve deafness are more sensitive to load noises than average hearing people. If you and I were exposed to the same bang -- I'd be the one in more pain. That said, I'm seriously considering having the audiologist make me a pair of plugs that I will keep with me on the streets (if I ever get to carry) and right by my night table.
 
I keep my Peltor Tactical 6s on the desk near my bed (1911 is in the desk drawer).

Kharn
 
Makes for an impressive night stand, I guess...

Lessee, HD weapon, backup weapon, several magazines for reloads, high-intensity flashlight, cell phone or cordless phone for the 911 call, Level III vest, remote master house light panic switch, leash for the trained attack weiner-spaniel, Claymore triggers, and a set of Peltor electronic muffs. So long as wife and I sleep in shifts, that should about cover it... :scrutiny:
 
I suffered some pretty good hearing loss in the army and I nevered served in conflict. It is now allot easier to take my hearing seriously but in the army it is impossible. Every soldier should get electronic muffs with com stuff built in. They could buy them for under a hundred bucks. Even if a soldier went through a pair a year they need it. Hard to wear muffs when you have to worry about hearing orders or the enemy.
 
I've thought about this subject as well. So far, I just have a set of plugs by the bed. I'm thinking about upgrading to electronic muffs soon.
 
Hearing Protection

I'm more concerned about the immediate threat, than my ears, honestly.

I have fired from a vehicle, without 'ears',twice. FWIW 45ACP is easier than 38spl +p's. IME

I believe in using "eyes and ears", practice this all the time.That said...I'm gonna take care of priorities...

"Be there firstest with the mostest"--Gen. Bedford Forrest
 
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