considering sound when shooting inside a house

I've had the unpleasant experience of having my hearing protection not fully in place when shots were fired at an indoor range (happened years ago and was totally my fault). Very loud, left me with ringing ears and a zeal not to make the same mistake again.

So, I was watching the First Person Shooter home invasion episode on You-Tube and all I could think of was how extremely loud firing an AR in a residetial hallway would be.

I don't think either the husband or wife would be able to hear a darn thing after the first shot.

I keep a set of the foam plugs mounted on a pastic 'U' on my nightstand, but am not sure I would have the pressence of mind to put them on.... especially when my sense of sound is a key part of me knowing what's going on in the house.

Another consideration is the affect of the sound on the BG, and on alerting the neighbors to call 911. I have a hard time finding a "smash and grab" or "night prowler" type sticking around very long after taking fire.

My final concrern is causing permanent hearing damage to my wife and children... and myself (though my wife says I'm already deaf as a stone).

The techniques and ideas all seem valid, and if you've got the time and the money, why not? I suspect that the average Joe may get a greater return out of an improved alarm system.

 

Hearing loss should be the last thing on your mind with an intruder/active shooter in your house.

A buddy I grew up with shot a home intruder with a Remington 700 .270 (The close thing to him at the time), and he said his ears rang for two days. He then said that was better than not hearing anything ever again.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

I keep a set of Peltors on my bedside stand.

 

Get a suppressor. The only way to make sure your entire family's hearing is protected is to quiet the source (or have everyone walk around carrying ear pro 24/7 - something that's not practical in my opinion).

For the last 10 years I have worked with music in either a performing or recording/mixing role. Loosing my hearing was not an option as it would mean that I would loose my job. While it is not at the top of my list when thinking about defensive firearms use, it is still on the list.

In my experience the idea of police coming at the mere sound of gunfire is not true. I live in a very low crime suburban area with a well funded but under utilized police force - the kind who would jump on a "shots fired" type of call. While in this area, I have been present for one ND inside a friend's home as well as a small explosion outside of a home. Want to guess how many police showed up? None. Homes seem to do a pretty good job of insulating the noise of gunfire, and even if people do hear it, they will likely try to rationalize it as being anything other than gunfire.

There's a saying: "one shot is nothing, two is a backfire, three is gunplay."

 

In a real shots fired situation most likely you will not have hearing protection.

 

Sub-sonic rounds for home protection - that is why a 45 ACP is my go-to weapon of choice.

 

My own experience is it's so loud you don't really notice it. The ringing comes afterwards, as does the hearing damage. That said, maybe some of the electronic muffs are good and convenient enough to make use of. It's on my list to try them out.

Also remember that the relationship between power and noise is not simple. I can shoot an M91 Mosin outside with no protection and barely have any ringing at all. But a .357? Ouch. A compensator is likely to increase the sound quite a bit, and the further away the gas is from your ear the less noise you'll encounter at the trigger in (ie why the M91 sounds less loud even though it's more powerful).

 

Your .357 comment brings to mind another factor; the type of propellant.

When I first started reloading in the late '60s I rolled a batch of .357s, half/each with IMR4227 and 700-X (same bullets & primers).

The 700-X has one of the fastest burn rates while the 4227 is in the middle of the pack.

The 4227 loads were LOUD ... the 700-X loads were LOUD & PAINFUL, a sharp icepick jab of pain, y'know.

Come to think of it, I probably still have most of that batch of 700-X rounds downstairs ... I don't think we ever finished them.

I'll have to get them out and find out how well the Peltors handle them.

 

I agree that worrying about hearing protection in a self defense situation is the last thing I would be thinking about.

I also think wearing earplugs or earmuffs is a very bad idea in a self defense situation, even if you have them available or time to put them on. You want to be able to access all of your senses! Hearing your attacker, might be your primary means of locating him.

 

Same here, as every little bit helps. I also keep E-muffs near my HD weapon and if I have the chance to don them you can bet I will. Because even a lowly .22 RF is going to roar inside a home without a suppressor.

I wish they'd drop restrictions on those. I'll bet they'd become a hell of a lot cheaper.

As I said, E-muffs. Try them.

 

Thanks

 

In trying to justify the hassle and expense of getting a suppressor in my county, I have thought about the importance of reduction of the blast to protect hearing. However, if the bad guy shoots, I doubt he/she will have a suppressor. Also, with a suppressor stuck on the end of my pistol, I can't really approach the door or walk outside to take out the garbage, etc. With a pocket pistol, I can seem harmless when I go to the door after a knock. Often it's a neighbor bringing vegetables or something but I don't take a chance when it's dark outside. Are there other aspects of using a suppressed weapon for home protection?

 

As far as concealing the suppressed weapon, you might want to look into micro suppressors. The gun won't be a pocket pistol, but it would be concealable with the right holster. I have a Thompson Machine Poseidon which is a 4" long 9mm suppressor that's hearing safe. It uses wipes which aren't great for long shooting sessions, but should do fine for a defensive shooting. Another option is the DeGroat Nano which is similar in concept but has a thinner tube allowing it to work well with more holsters, but it is a bit louder than the Poseidon.

If you're hung up on the LEO sign off, I'd recommend using a trust. It would also allow the rest of your family to have protection from felony charges if they come into possession of the suppressor outside of your presence.

 

We are no doubt paying for some of it collectively but there have been men shooting guns indoors next to each others heads and from inside vehicles on a fairly regular basis for the last dozen or so years. If they can do it I will not worry to much if my life depends on it. My hearing is pretty poor due to industrial exposure over 30 some years, hearing loss is definitely cumulative and unless it is a godly loud blast or you defend against home invasions on a weekly basis you will probably be none the worse for wear if you are called to burn a few rounds in your hallway.

 

I'm not so concerned about hearing loss as a one time event would likely cause no noticeable harm, but more about the potential for disorientation. A can is obviously the best technical solution; however it opens one up to a number of potential legal issues if used against another person. As I understand commission of a crime with a NFA item carries much stiffer penalties so if that shooting somehow went south in the courts it could be far worse than otherwise. A pistol caliber carbine with subsonic round is surprisingly quiet with little to no flash so that's another way to go.

 

I also keep a pair of clear safety glasses with the electronic muffs because if things go bad, I don't want to have to worry about being hindered by getting something in my eye(s).

 

Gloves, don't forget gloves

 

Don't forget a helmet, and a shield, and shin guards!

 

LOL, I had the same thought.

 

My presbyopia makes it necessary for me to wear reading glasses so that normally those are what I would grab upon exiting bed to research a tripped alarm sensor or sound.

I realized that since I need the lenses anyway, I may as well have a set of my shooting lenses on the nightstand since a really quick way to be temporarily "disabled" is to have something fly into (or sprayed into) your eyes.

At least, that is true of me ... even one dislodged eyelash on my eyeball brings my entire world comes to a STOP!

 

That is a very real concern, and one I have had the unfortunate and unpleasant experience of. In one particular encounter from inside a vehicle with the windows rolled up, I was forced to discharge my handgun during a self defense situation. Fortunately though, the firearm that I discharged was only a 22LR, so it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I can't begin to imagine the painful and permanent hearing loss I would have suffered if had been carrying one of my other sidearms, like my .357 mag. with full tilt loads, ouch! I've already made that mistake at the range once or twice, and have suffered severe hearing loss as a result.

I keep a pair of ear muffs on my night stand in the event I might have the opportunity to slip them on. Whether or not I would use them, I don't know. I also have my glasses right there as well, but even though my vision isn't the greatest, I don't require them to see at distances past 3 feet.

GS

 

Middle of the night....typically dark and quiet, your night vision will start out better, as will your hearing. The noise and flash of a gunshot will most likely stun both of you...esp in a confined space such as a hall way. The difference between you and the intruder is this: you have the ability to be prepared for it...you should have good enough SA to be prepared and to move...know ahead of time where you are moving to and obsticles. This mini flashbang can be to your advantage if you are prepared. Situational awareness, forethought, and preparation will win the day.