mortablunt
Member
Use ear plugs with a slow subsonic 45 ACP load. However, if you're really worried about hearing damage, you could use a Crossbow or something.
Quietest gun for self defense
- Thread starter BluegrassDan
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K0ZZZ
Member
My wife and I use those Aguila primer only 22lr loads. It's good out to about 25 yards, and so quiet, you could shoot in your basement without hearing protection.
They won't cycle semi-autos, but we use a revolver and a lever action mostly. Or just charge the handle each shot.
They won't cycle semi-autos, but we use a revolver and a lever action mostly. Or just charge the handle each shot.
Loosedhorse
member
Which type of legal, non-supressed firearm
Why non-suppressed? A supressor on a 9mm carbine with subsonic rounds--that'd be the most dependable solution.
I keep active hearing protection near my HD gun...but I know I may not have time to put it on in an emergency. A suppressor, where legal, would make a lot of sense for a HD long gun.
Why non-suppressed? A supressor on a 9mm carbine with subsonic rounds--that'd be the most dependable solution.
I keep active hearing protection near my HD gun...but I know I may not have time to put it on in an emergency. A suppressor, where legal, would make a lot of sense for a HD long gun.
Rail Driver
Member
I hope you aren't using those primer only caps for any defensive purposes. They haven't got enough juice to ethically or cleanly kill a large possum or small dog much less stop an intruder.
.22 mag out of a hand gun is insanely loud. I'm guessing it's because all the commercial .22mag ammo is loaded to be shot out of a rifle.
As for OP, a .22lr out of a rifle is a very powerful tool, especially now that Aquila makes 60gr subsonics with 16'' of penetration through ballistic gel. I can get very accurate rapid fire going with 10/22 with 50 round mags, much more than a full size hand gun or even a 16'' AR-15.
http://www.brassfetcher.com/Aguila%20Sniper%20SubSonic%2060%20grain%20lead%20round%20nose.html
QUOTE: "I hadn't considered a .22lr carbine. Perhaps loaded with Aguila 60 grain subsonic ammo? Any model recommendations? "
So you're willing to use something that is not very effective for SD to protect your life with the hopes that it won't further damage your hearing. Seems like you've got your thinking a little bit backwards.
You should be looking for the most effective thing that you can handle and shoot well. If you're that worried about hearing get some electronic muffs to put on should you need to pick up your gun for SD purposes in the house.
So you're willing to use something that is not very effective for SD to protect your life with the hopes that it won't further damage your hearing. Seems like you've got your thinking a little bit backwards.
You should be looking for the most effective thing that you can handle and shoot well. If you're that worried about hearing get some electronic muffs to put on should you need to pick up your gun for SD purposes in the house.
JustinJ
Member
Subsonic rounds will be a better bet and i would suspect that the longer the barrel the quieter the gun, all other things being equal. If the decibel difference between various handguns will really translate to actual reductions in hearing damage potential is hard to say. However, an HK USC, .45 with 16" barrel, is amazingly quiet. I would suspect the same to be true of any 16" barreled pistol caliber carbine firing subsonic ammo.
1KPerDay
Member
You might want a wooden one if you prefer the traditional *crack* to a *ping*.
baylorattorney
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Just get a less lethal form of defense like tear gas, mace, etc. Or tazer/stun guns. Keep your .22 at your side in case the attacker wants to keep coming. A .410 or .28 guage shotty isn't too loud either.
Sean Smith
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In all seriousness there is no reason you can't legally buy a suppressor if you live in Tennessee. Just find your nearest Class 3 dealer and talk to them about the process.
Beyond that...I've got to agree that using a poor weapon to protect your life just so you can protect your hearing is a questionable course of action. A longer-barreled gun firing subsonic ammo will be quieter, but any decent self-defense load is going to be loud as hell regardless.
Beyond that...I've got to agree that using a poor weapon to protect your life just so you can protect your hearing is a questionable course of action. A longer-barreled gun firing subsonic ammo will be quieter, but any decent self-defense load is going to be loud as hell regardless.
olafhardtB
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I have noticed that 38 special target wad cutters arent that loud, neither are 32 s&w long wadcutters. A longer barrel seem to help. Round nose lead "cat sneeze"loads out of a carbine might do the trick.
Rail Driver
Member
ball3006 said:
Can you provide a citation for this, or an example of a person being prosecuted federally for otherwise legally shooting somebody with an NFA item?
While it's not the best idea for various reasons, none of those reasons have to do with risking federal prosecution unless you're illegally in possession of the NFA item.
Sean Smith
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I'm calling BS. It's self defense with something you legally own, and that the ATF in fact specifically approved your ownership of.
EDIT: Your statement doesn't even make basic logical sense. You're subject to federal firearm laws all the time. You have to follow them to get the damn thing in the first place.
Shadow 7D
Member
A murder isn't going to be a FEDERAL murder just cause you used a suppressed pistol, and a good shoot isn't going to be a FEDERAL case....
Bad info, not thought through.
Hate to say it, but quiet and gun just don't go together.
Bad info, not thought through.
Hate to say it, but quiet and gun just don't go together.
Decibels are not all equal either.
Generally lower frequency reports for a given decibel level are less damaging and less painful than high frequency reports.
For handguns those that stay below the speed of sound will be less damaging. As well as those that operate at lower pressures (which need a heavier projectile to still deliver much energy.)
A .45 Colt would be a good hard hitting but less damaging to hearing round.
In an auto a .45ACP less damaging than a typical 9x19 round.
Barrel length is also important, the shorter the barrel the louder and more damaging the report.
A great example of that is shown on this chart (which also gives some examples of other firearm decibel ratings): http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml
Notice an 18" 12 gauge is over 5 decibels louder than a 28" 12 gauge on that chart. The decibel scale is logarithmic and so a slight increase is greater than the number suggests.
Generally lower frequency reports for a given decibel level are less damaging and less painful than high frequency reports.
For handguns those that stay below the speed of sound will be less damaging. As well as those that operate at lower pressures (which need a heavier projectile to still deliver much energy.)
A .45 Colt would be a good hard hitting but less damaging to hearing round.
In an auto a .45ACP less damaging than a typical 9x19 round.
Barrel length is also important, the shorter the barrel the louder and more damaging the report.
A great example of that is shown on this chart (which also gives some examples of other firearm decibel ratings): http://www.freehearingtest.com/hia_gunfirenoise.shtml
Notice an 18" 12 gauge is over 5 decibels louder than a 28" 12 gauge on that chart. The decibel scale is logarithmic and so a slight increase is greater than the number suggests.
Loosedhorse
member
At any point on the scale, a 10-point increase represents a 10-fold increase in energy, with most observers saying it sounds "twice as loud."
Strykervet
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I've shot a lot without ear pro. Not always because I wanted to either. According to the tests, I have perfect hearing, but I also have tinnitus --I hear whining or sometime a full blown tea kettle. I understand it comes from damaged hairs inside the ear canal, but whether or not it was caused by gunfire or explosions, I don't know. I hear the explosions can damage the hairs more.
Anyway, of all the things I have fired, the .357 686 I have was THE loudest, and that was outside! It was louder than an M4 indoors, I seriously couldn't hear for a week and my ears rung for at least that long.
The .22 is likely the quietest. But if I had to choose one in your situation, and had to have a sufficient calibre, I'd go with the .45ACP, 230gr. bullets. At least those won't be supersonic. At any rate, the loudest part of any gunshot will be the primer. It is a full 10-20dB higher than the actual report (I have the old army silencer evaluation manual).
I'd stay away from revolvers too. I think it has something to do with the gap between the barrel and cylinder, but I can't be certain. I'd stay away from supersonic rounds. So that basically leaves the .45ACP. To your sensitive ears, it will still sound quite loud. But trust me, compared to other defensive rounds, it is quite mild. 9mm subsonic is similar, but has much less energy.
Now inside of a closed room... Like a near airtight car where the blast can't escape... That pressure is going to be a problem no matter what. You could open your mouth if you think about it I guess, or keep the window cracked, but there really isn't much you can do about it. The only downside to the .45 in a car, at least intuitively, is that it is a larger cartridge = more expanded gas = more pressure. But seriously, do you really expect to have to fire from inside a sealed car? What are the chances?
Most of us will be lucky. Most of us on here will never fire a shot in anger, domestically anyway, so count your blessings on that. For those of us unfortunate to be in the situation where we need to do so, I think the best thing is to carry what works best for you and just suck up the consequences. You'll need a week off from work to deal with the BS from the aftermath anyway, time for your nerves to settle, and by then, your hearing should be back to normal.
If you fire off rounds indoors or in confined spaces, your ears will ring. It will hurt and everything will sound like it is coming through a tunnel yards away and the ringing will drive you crazy for days. But it goes away, your hearing comes back gradually, and before long it is back to normal. One time isn't going to destroy your hearing. Doing this for years will. High explosives at close range are much, much worse. Still, according to several hearing tests, I hear fine. Just the ringing (that I am sure you want to avoid).
BTW, on average, gunshots do LESS damage to your hearing than loud music... The loud music exposes your ears to sustained high levels whereas the gunshot is a short impulse only marginally louder than some concerts. My hearing has suffered from concerts more than from firing machineguns with no earpro. The only exception was that .357 revolver...
Anyway, of all the things I have fired, the .357 686 I have was THE loudest, and that was outside! It was louder than an M4 indoors, I seriously couldn't hear for a week and my ears rung for at least that long.
The .22 is likely the quietest. But if I had to choose one in your situation, and had to have a sufficient calibre, I'd go with the .45ACP, 230gr. bullets. At least those won't be supersonic. At any rate, the loudest part of any gunshot will be the primer. It is a full 10-20dB higher than the actual report (I have the old army silencer evaluation manual).
I'd stay away from revolvers too. I think it has something to do with the gap between the barrel and cylinder, but I can't be certain. I'd stay away from supersonic rounds. So that basically leaves the .45ACP. To your sensitive ears, it will still sound quite loud. But trust me, compared to other defensive rounds, it is quite mild. 9mm subsonic is similar, but has much less energy.
Now inside of a closed room... Like a near airtight car where the blast can't escape... That pressure is going to be a problem no matter what. You could open your mouth if you think about it I guess, or keep the window cracked, but there really isn't much you can do about it. The only downside to the .45 in a car, at least intuitively, is that it is a larger cartridge = more expanded gas = more pressure. But seriously, do you really expect to have to fire from inside a sealed car? What are the chances?
Most of us will be lucky. Most of us on here will never fire a shot in anger, domestically anyway, so count your blessings on that. For those of us unfortunate to be in the situation where we need to do so, I think the best thing is to carry what works best for you and just suck up the consequences. You'll need a week off from work to deal with the BS from the aftermath anyway, time for your nerves to settle, and by then, your hearing should be back to normal.
If you fire off rounds indoors or in confined spaces, your ears will ring. It will hurt and everything will sound like it is coming through a tunnel yards away and the ringing will drive you crazy for days. But it goes away, your hearing comes back gradually, and before long it is back to normal. One time isn't going to destroy your hearing. Doing this for years will. High explosives at close range are much, much worse. Still, according to several hearing tests, I hear fine. Just the ringing (that I am sure you want to avoid).
BTW, on average, gunshots do LESS damage to your hearing than loud music... The loud music exposes your ears to sustained high levels whereas the gunshot is a short impulse only marginally louder than some concerts. My hearing has suffered from concerts more than from firing machineguns with no earpro. The only exception was that .357 revolver...
ny32182
Member
Muzzle blast is way louder than sonic crack of a supersonic projectile. You need a suppressor to even hear the sonic crack, because the muzzle blast completely drowns it out. Muzzle blast is created by pressure. If you want less intense muzzle blast, you should be looking for low pressure rounds. .45ACP, shotguns... stuff like that. Not rifles or 35k+ PSI pistol cartridges.
If you are that worried about your hearing, get a suppressor. You can have it on the gun ahead of time. There is no reason to assume you will have the time or thought to put on electronic muffs in the heat of the moment, when it is something you can take care of ahead of time with a can. I don't know about TN, but in SC, we have the castle doctrine... investigate away. My form 4 will be completely legit.
If you are that worried about your hearing, get a suppressor. You can have it on the gun ahead of time. There is no reason to assume you will have the time or thought to put on electronic muffs in the heat of the moment, when it is something you can take care of ahead of time with a can. I don't know about TN, but in SC, we have the castle doctrine... investigate away.
My form 4 will be completely legit.Shienhausser
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Yeah I was worried about my nephew getting hit by a car, so I pushed him in front of one and he got used to it. Now he's good to go!
Onward Allusion
Member
It really depends.
In a car with windows closed, even a 22LR will cause some damage. Indoors, there is a big difference between shooting in a hallway and in a larger room along with the different building materials. For example, big difference between shooting in the living room versus a hallway versus an unfinished basement.
For home, have a pair of electronic muffs next to your bed. Advantage is two-fold. First it protects your hearing. Second, gives you enhanced-human hearing.
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