Someone breaks into your house

[Preacherman]

Daedalus, that should be pretty easy to counter... just tell the court exactly why you used hearing protection, and invite the prosecutor to take your gun and your ammo into a room and fire the same number of shots you did - but without hearing protection! After the necessary delay to allow the prosecutor's ears to recover (or appoint a replacement prosecutor), I think the court will concede that you've made your point!

 

[threeseven]

Surely if you were worried about the hearing protection hurting you in court (and I doubt it would), you could just, you know, take it off afterwards? The bullet-riddled corpse won't tell anyone.

 

[Caanis Lupus]

Thats what I was thinking...

 

[Locus]

From what people are saying, it seems like hearing damage is something to seriously consider, if possible. I think something like a suppressed .45 would be best in a situation like this, since you could just pick it up and go, rather than fumbling around with headphones, and the suppressor didn't make the pistol unmanagable.

Of course, having shot someone with a suppressed USP Tactical would look really bad in court...

 

[Onmilo]

Stop stabbing me, I need to put my hearing protectors on so I can safely shoot you!,,,,,,,

 

[AirPower]

Is it true that low pressure rounds make less damaging sound? ie. 45acp vs .40S&W. I wonder where 9mm stands, or the .22LR.

If you really worry about damaging hearing, I'd imagine a backup .22LR handgun might be worth using. or may be .32acp.

 

[sendec]

Or maybe a blowgun.....

Really, we need to establish some priorities here, so let's break down the issues:

Are amplified muffs a "good" idea to use in this situation? Personally as I expressed earlier, I dont think so, but that's just me.

Is hearing damage an issue in a self defense shooting? I'll take my chances, use the largest gun possible, and fire as much as needed. I take tinnitus and decreased auditory range over a sucking chest wound.

Sometimes I think that we tend to over-complicated things. When some writers start getting us concerned because our weapons have seemingly aggressive names, or that aftermarket parts are a ticket to the big house, we lose track of the fact that our first priority should be Not Getting Killed.

I would contend that for the money you would spend on electronic ears that would probably never be needed or used "tactically", you would be far better off spending it on practice ammo.

 

[Vapor63]

I figure the best way to get your answer is ask someone or find out from someone who's been in a home invasion situation where they've fired a gun with/out ear protection. Can it really permenently damage your hearing at all? if not, I wouldn't even keep muffs nearby.

 

[Tharg]

I've fired (outside) when practicing and if i'm not wearing something (hell - i've used toilet paper before) then i will "ring" for days.... (a different ring than the normal once i'm used to)

but it goes away

in a HD situation i'm about as likely to "don the muffs" as i am to put on a shirt... its just not something that is going to happen.

Hearing loss and cramped quarters i can't speak for. I rekon it would be "worse" ... but as others have said... mine or his/hers ... i'm going to chose mine and deal w/ the ear thing...

J/Tharg!

 

[Test1968]

I would say no hearing protection

I would say no to hearing protection.

I have had to have my weapon out, and was waiting for the "individual" to come thru the door. In the darkness, I was relying on my hearing to be sure where things were. The other problem was something that hearing protectors wouldn't have stopped and that was this constant thump, thump, thump, I was hearing. It wasn't the perp, but my own pulse sounding like a drum.

If you ever have to encounter this situation, I would think you would want ALL of your senses available.

I also have hearing problems due to environmental issues over the years, but what hearing I have left, I will use to help stop the threat. The wife will just have to get used to repeating herself.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

Auditory Exclusion won't save your ears...

As Don Gwinn wrote on TFL:

As I understand it, auditory exclusion is simply your brain ignoring the sound input from your ears, NOT the absence of the sound actually hitting your ears. All the damage from the noise should still take place, as it is the battering of the nerve endings, ear drums, etc. that causes damage.

Auditory exclusion may help you focus in the fight, but don't count on it to protect your hearing.

 

[Zach S]

Nope, no earplugs, no safety glasses, just a .45 and/or a shotgun.

 

[djsjd]

Why shoot? The sound of a hammer cocking or a round being chambered is potent indeed - no hearing protection necessary. If the fool doesn't then cry uncle... well, that's Darwin's theory in real-time.

Forget the protection. Protect the family.

 

[Tamara]

I don't think I'd bother taking the time to don ear protection. In my experience, things happen awful fast in those kind of scenarios, and I'd consider myself flippin' fortunate if I had time to reach a long gun...

 

[myopicmouse]

If someone broke into my house, I’d better pray to God that I didn’t leave anything on the floor for them to trip over and hurt themselves…and I’d hope they didn’t have any trouble opening my door as I wouldn’t want them to injure themselves breaking in incase they sued me. In fact I’d better leave cookies and milk out for them and a warning to drive home safely on the road with my property…because I wouldn’t want them to crash speeding on their way home.

And if I was up when they were in the house, I'd better club myself unconsious to save them the stress of doing it........ I dont like the UK at times!

 

[Gus Dddysgrl]

If I had earmuffs easily acessable and easy to put on than maybe, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about there are other things I'd be more focused on.

Gus

 

[JShirley]

If I can use hearing protection, I will. A life is long time to go without hearing.

John

 

[myopicmouse]

Your not going to go deaf from one shooting incident.

 

[entropy]

I did a bit of urban combat training back when I was in the Army, and we did not wear earplugs. The brain does block out the sound of gunfire , (Something I learned at 16 when I shot my first deer) but damage is still done. My hearing has been somewhat damaged over the years, and I take precautions when I am able to. (The younger guys at work laugh at me when I put on the earmuffs by the table saw, but let 'em) This is one situation where I would have other priorities first. A couple rounds fired indoors will not push my hearing off to the deaf side, and I'd rather the auditory input before the shots was as natural as possible, given the effects of adrenaline dump and tachypsycia (the percieved slowing of time in such an instance.) Once a guy fired a full 30rd. mag. of 5.56 (Blanks, with Miles) at me from 35 ft. away, and I barely heard it. (He missed, too! [I dove to the deck, and popped him with one round while he was changing mags.] I didn't hear my round at all. I did hear his MILES go off, though! )
Oh, and MP5SD's are great for inside work. Much easier on the ears than M16's!