Indoor caliber vs concussion/db's

[Ironbarr]

In reading other "what ifs" re home defense, there's a lot of shotguns and some large caliber (.45 plus, let's say) preferred. Seems to me that the sound (DB) and maybe concussion in close quarters could be rough to experience ( I know personally that standing in a ship's doorway when the 5-inch fires is not exactly thrilling).

So, what experience(s) have you had with gunfire in close spaces (homes, etc.). And what do you use/do to mitigate any hearing damage in home defense mode? Gage/caliber?

 

[P95Carry]

Hi Andy! ....

Know what? .... I can only really go by those occasions when I have not had my ''ears'' on in time!! True .. large cals, shotties etc . painful for sure.

But - as many will attest, if in ''extremis'' auditory exclusion will prevail. That's not to say that the tympanum will not be damaged but .. like as not, you will not be prejudiced by that from carrying out what needs done.

I fired the first round of 45-70 other day on a range session, thru my new BFR ..... and forgot my ears .... oh WOW -- was that fierce!! But - isolated events do not I think prove too bad...... it is repetition that gets serious.

If (and I hope never) I had to fire - say - .357 in extremis .. I'll wager that noise and muzzle blast etc will be all but insignificant. Certainly if I am still breathing then ... any (hopefully temporary) tinnitus weill be well worth it!

Have a good one .......

 

[litman252]

I agree that it would be very loud no matter what you are shooting. I know someone who had a ND with a .22 rifle in a loundry room as a youn'n. It rang his ears for many days.
I think that the noise at a time of life or death is sorta like a shaterd windshield on a car. Really sucks when a rock hits it and it needs to be fixed. If you roll your car and smash the whole car, you really don't notice the windshield................

More mudd in the water.............................

Tony

 

[Wayward]

I believe that if the situation is so dire that you have to fire your weapon in self defense then you probably won't notice the blast/sound.

Speaking of ship guns, has anyone ever been present when they fire the 16" guns on a battleship? I'm wondering if they have to clear the deck or otherwise make people stay in safe zones because of the blast.

 

[P95Carry]

Never been lucky to be aboard ship when the big guys are let loose but .... this is what they look like!!! I'd guess being below decks might be beneficial to health!

Shock wave fronts are very apparent .. incredible!

 

[Tom Bri]

Fired a little .22 mag inside once, just for kicks. Never again! My ears rang.

I always wondered about the effect muzzle blast had on the other end. If my .22 mag hurt my ears even though I was behind the blast, how would someone standing in front of the blast be affected (even if I didn't shoot them)? For example, a .357 mag fired indoors will blast the eardrums of the shooter, but it must have a much greater affect on someone facing directly at the muzzle. Seems there might be some advantage to the shooter in having a really sharp report.

 

[P95Carry]

Tom, I think on balance .... majority of peak blast goes sideways ... it is that first release of gas just as bullet leaves muzzle. Of course, some gas will ''chase'' the bullet but even then the main peak might be dissipating (relatively!).

Anyways, any shot in a confined space will be loud that is for sure ... in the great outdoors tho attenuation can be very rapid from even moderate distances. This follows pretty much the inverse square law .. double the distance, quarter the level. So maybe if sound level was 110dB at 6 feet away then at 12 feet it might have dropped to 104dB perhaps.

Others may disagree but this seems a logical appraisal on reflection.

 

[lbmii]

Yes, you see those war footage films of service men firing 30.06 M1 Grands and you have to wonder.

 

[Ironbarr]

Guess I'll have to keep my ear plugs on the bedstand, huh? (I've already lost some low frequencies over the years). But how do I hear the BG's groans post-shots???

 

[P95Carry]

But how do I hear the BG's groans post-shots???

No prob's Andy - we'll assume you still have him on visual ... you'll make do with ''writhing observation'' .... just as informative as groans!!

Of course - there may be no auditory or visual output anyways ... if he is in 'mortis extremis!' (or could be it's 'Mortem totalis' )

 

[Ironbarr]

Chris...

I believe what you are saying is - that is was a great idea and decision to have had my cataracts cleared and eyesight back to 20/20, huh?

New to the AR, I was dismayed that, viewing through the rear aperature, I saw something resembling fuzz - or spider web. I even poked a wire through it but it didn't clean up at all.

Post-eyes, the peepers peeped through the peeper - perfect peeping.

 

[P95Carry]

Glad to hear the cataract job was good .. minor miracle eh, tho so common these days.

Old peepers, peepin like younger peepers, thru iron peepers ... and spider's web hardly there! That's good. me .... just too much lens hardening I guess but ... apart from reduced accomodation I manage ... always a way round these things. Called red dots!!

 

[Ironbarr]

Red dot? Got one of those too... backup - or - frontup, according to the moment. Nice to have alternatives.

Now I must read some more on .223/5.56 reliability in HD. I have a problem with considering the Browning Auto5 in 12g as an indoor tool. I'd ask your opinion on a Makarov in 9x18 for nightime HD, but that's another thread.

Re the current topic though, I'll have to check on good 30-db + E-ears. Getting used to wearing them in bed will be another #$@^%$#@$%^&%$ learning curve.

-Andy

 

[P95Carry]

Wearing in bed?? Sheesh .... forget that!

'Nother thread maybe but .. 9x18 as HD?? .... could do a lot worse .... not exactly useless IMO! My Mak comes to hand well tho not for HD ... that is left to daytime carry on the floor ... and wife has her M66 in a clothes closet.

I defy any armed intruder to come in and expect a hot chocolate shake and Orio ...

Ain't gonna happen!

 

[MrAcheson]

Never been lucky to be aboard ship when the big guys are let loose but .... this is what they look like!!! I'd guess being below decks might be beneficial to health!

Shock wave fronts are very apparent .. incredible!

Ever been to the USS New Jersey in Camden harbor? On the rear deck of the Iowa class ships there is a cubic steel box which IIRC houses a stairway going below decks. The walls of the structure are steel plate an 1/8" to 1/4" thick. On the New Jersey one corner of this structure is caved in because of the impact of the shock waves from the big guns. Somebody thought it would be cool to fire the rear turret straight off the back of the ship. They never did that again.

 

[another okie]

I keep my electronic headset in my bedroom closet. It would take a little time to get them and put them on, but I would do it if I had a little warning. Of course, I would grab the gun first. I don't use my electronic headset at the range because it doesn't really reduce the noise quite enough for me. (I also use foam in-the-ear plugs when shooting indoors and sometimes when shooting outdoors as well. I lost some hearing playing in a band in high school and I don't want to lose any more.)

 

[Ryder]

Caliber size doesn't have a significant relation noise level. 357 is a whole lot louder than a 38 yet they are the same caliber just as a hot 357 load is amuch louder than a run of the mill factory load 357. Pressure is the culprit. I've shot a 45acp indoors without problem, don't plan on trying that with a magnum if I can help it.

Barrel length has a lot to do with perceived loudness. I believe this is because it puts the source closer to your ears. Probably not as significant indoors as the composition of your surroundings though. Carpet helps a lot!

 

[cracked butt]

Never considered a 12 guage shotgun to be very loud until the first time I took my wife goosehunting. Not clarifying her shooting zones well enough before the hunt resulted in a discharge from a muzzle 8" from my right ear when she stood up and shot over my shoulder. Scared te bejeebers out of me, and left a ringing in my ear for over a week.

 

[MrMurphy]

I know several SWAT officers who've cranked off at various times 12ga, 9mm, .40 and 5.56mm (ouch!) indoors against bad guys, generally one or two shots was all that was needed.

According to them, hearing exclusion they didn't hear much at the time. Even with the 12ga.

They now wear the electronic hearing protection with the radio plugs built in, so they don't hear their own shots, they do hear people whispering and moving around, and also hear their radio transmissions at the same time (best of all worlds). So they can crank off a 5.56mm and hear a little "pop" instead of a BOOM.


I became a believer in electronic hearing protection (don't have it yet, but working on it) when a guy to my right fired off a 12+ round burst from an Uzi and I heard a little "tinkle tinkle tinkle" and the guy to my left muttered "Pass the ammo" and I heard him like he was talking directly into my ear on a silent range.... !!

 

[Ironbarr]

This e-ears has been covered... and a new thread would be better to discuss them again, and I'll, here, ask someone to lead off that thread with experiences and recommendations - technology does move on.

Thanks.
-Andy

 

[Combat-wombat]

Unfortunately, the only gun I have access to right now is a 30.06.