Is a 9mm Carbine less "loud" than a pistol?

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Hugger-4641 said:
Ok, this thread prompted me to do a little testing:
I downloaded a decibel meter app to my phone, problem is it was limited to 100db, so I couldn't use it close to the weapon. So I put the phone just inside the picture window of my living room while I went out on the front porch, about 10 feet away with the barrel at a 45% angle.
My grand daughter was watching Snow White in the next room and my wife was cooking lunch in the kitchen, so the ambient noise in the house was between 50 and 60db.
All of the 9mm were Blazer Brass 115gr RN.
I had my daughter write down the readings as I fired the following just for the fun of it:

PCC 9mm - 63db
M9A3 - 57db
STR-9 - 62db
CPX-2 - 78db
G-19 - 64db
XD-40 - 71db (165gr FN Blazer aluminum)
Taurus .357 - 66db (158gr HP Blazer Brass)
.25 acp - did not even register above ambient
.22/25 lite- 62db (winchester 36gr hp)
10/22 carbine- did not register above ambient. (Winchester 36g hp)
.32 acp - 69db

I'm not 100% convinced about the performance of my phone mic or the app because my daughter said the .357 was the loudest of them all to her and it seemed that way to me also. But it is interesting to see some data to support that there really isn't a significant difference between the carbine and the pistols.
Click to expand...

That right there is what illustrates why smart phones and their apps can't record the super short impulse of gun fire. I had similar findings when I did this myself years ago.

I'm thinking the only way a low end decibel meter could pick up gun fire more accurately is possibly when a full auto firearm is emptying a 30 round magazine. Even then, it must have a range much higher than 100 decibels.
 
I really don't know how much of a muzzle blast sound would be lost between a G17/G19 (4.6"/4.0") and a 16" PCC during a bullet's extra 11.4" or 12" bore travel distance. During last winter, 4300ft/78F, I chronographed Double Tap's 125gr all copper bullet in .40 S&W through a Steyr M40-A1 and Beretta CX-4. Double Tap's advertised MV from a 4" barrel was 1390fps, the Steyr 4" chronoed at 1460fps; this is within .357mag MV territory. The CX-4's 16" chrome lined barrel chonographed 1656fps with an extreme spread of 26fps, very high quality ammunition.

The extra 12" of bore length resulted in an increase of 196fps, but I didn't notice/observe (wasn't looking for) if there was a decrease (muzzle blast) in decibels during this increase of MV; had my ears on. :)

Both platforms are loud!
 
chicharrones said:
That right there is what illustrates why smart phones and their apps can't record the super short impulse of gun fire. I had similar findings when I did this myself years ago.

I'm thinking the only way a low end decibel meter could pick up gun fire more accurately is possibly when a full auto firearm is emptying a 30 round magazine. Even then, it must have a range much higher than 100 decibels.
Click to expand...
Agreed as far as accuracy of the readings, but I was more concerned with the comparison. I think the comparison is still viable since the phone was inside the house. I fired all rounds from exact same position into the same target. Sound was hitting the outer pane of the window at a 45% angle, then passing through the inner pane, so I'm thinking this refraction should have had a bit of a "buffering" effect. This also might explain the. 357 "seeming" to be louder since my ears registered both the muzzle and chamber reports and the phone probably did not. IDk, just speculating on this.
 
I put stuff up for sale this afternoon. I am to the place where I don't really care if "I can't shoot 9mm or 5.56". I have much more fun with my target grade Mark II and 10/22 firearms anyway. And I plan on getting one of those Taurus TX-22 Competition pistols and putting a micro reddot on it. That, along with my Thompson 10/22 clone, two nice Henry 22lr rifles, 1958 Ruger Single Six, Ruger Shopkeeper, a the Taylors 1973, I have plenty of things to shoot at the range. :)
 
20210606_180617.jpg I love my PCC, but since I already had glocks, I put in the glock mag well. Then I added a 33rd glock mag, and keep spare 19 mags and ammo in the belt and on the stock.:cool:
 
I'm kinda wishing I could find someone at the range, sometime, that has a PCC that I could try out. I wish I could get the actual information here I need, but may not fully be able to do so.
 
Went to the range this morning to play with some 9mm's. First time out with the PC Carbine since I put the Glock mag well in it and took some 10 round P Mags I picked up over the winter to try in the PC Carbine and the Glock 19. Long as I already had two 9mm's out I brought along a 1943 Walther P-38 because it hasn't been fired in over a year and I figured I'll check all three for noise level. Not scientifically but just what I hear through my hearing protection. Ammo a mixture of Blazer Brass and some steel case Wolf; all with 115 gr. bullets. IMG_1753.JPG ... No muzzle brakes or suppressors. Handguns fired at arms length and the carbine from the shoulder. The PC Carbine and the Glock 19 were so close I'm calling it a draw and the loudest was the P-38. Don't know why, but it was noticeably louder through my headphones. The P-38 has a 4.9 inch barrel and the G-19 barrel is 4.02 inch so I would have figured the Glock might be loudest. PC Carbine barrel is listed at 16.2 inches and seemed about the same as the Glock. Go figure.... All I know is what I heard through headphones. Still interesting, though. Even if it wasn't exactly a formal experiment with more controlled procedures and decibel measuring gear. Only thing I found out for sure was the P Mags functioned fine in both the Glock and the carbine and the Glock magwell in the carbine also seems flawless. So it was a good range trip. Also did some plinking with the 10/22 and Ruger Single Six.
 
A simple way to think about it is this. If a bullet goes faster out of a long barrel, it's because more energy is put into accelerating it by the gases pushing on it. That means, there's less energy available in the gases to make the discharge noise after the bullet exits.
 
For me it depends. My Beretta CX4 Storm seems far less sharp than any of my 9mm pistols. My Sub2000 seems more pleasant but somehow less so than with the storm. My PSA AKV on the other hand seems nearly as loud, especially while firing at indoor ranges. Is suspect is has everything to do with the shorter barrel and the muzzle brake.
 
So,...decided to go with all rimmed type shooting. 22lr, 17HMR, 38 Special [out of the 1873]. I think this is the best decision to best protect my hearing. And really, I'm fine with that. I have plenty of 22lr, so I can have years of happy shooting...and will probably still have some left over when I can no longer shoot.

Thanks for all the replies. I hope you all got as much out of this thread as I did. :)
 
Well, I attempted to sell some of my guns. Sold one,...but didn't sell the other two,...or the 9mm ammo. So it looks like for the time being, I'm going to be keeping it all. I think the "panic buying" has died down. I'll keep them for another day.
 
Orion8472 said:
Thanks for all the replies. I hope you all got as much out of this thread as I did.
Click to expand...
...... Thank you for starting it. I did get a lot out of it, and it was interesting and somewhat educational, too. And I also had fun doing my unofficial range report even if I was wearing headphones while doing it.
 
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