okay, really stupid question (please don't shoot me)

[doseyclwn]

This is a question about Home Defense. So I keep my gun next to the bed with the action open, magazine or speed loader across the room so that I have to get up and load it. Do I need hearing protection as well? I guess I didn't think about it before. Yes, I need more training. Yes, I don't know things which are probably obvious. I figured this was a good place to ask.

 

[Jeff White]

Unless you invest in good electronic hearing protection you'll give up more then you gain by cutting out your hearing. More times then not, you will never shoot in a home defensive situation. You will need your hearing to help you locate the threat though. If you're sleeping when it happens, it's probably your hearing that will alert you to the threat in the first place.


Now a question for you. Have you rehersed your plan? I.E. waking and placing your weapon in a ready condition.

Jeff

 

[Logistar]

Hmmmm. It might be helpful to know what type of gun(s) you will be using. I am wondering why you store your gun in pieces.

My philosophy is to be ready. I have .38+P on my nightstand. I have my Beretta if necessary. I do not have any hearing protection ready for this purpose.

1. I figure it is unlikely that I will ever need to fire a weapon in home defence.
2. I need to be able to heat faint sounds. (direction of movement, etc.) - I suppose I could use electronic ears but no doubt I would forget about them and just grab the gun and "go".

(I have been rethinking the "electronic ears" though.)

Maybe others have some good comments for 'ya.

Logistar

 

[doseyclwn]

I have rehearsed a plan. I get up, load the gun, yell "I've got a gun, get the f*&^ out", then I listen to see what's going on. I figure I've got to determine if the guy is in my son's room or not. If I hear nothing, I check his room first (it's at the end of the hall). If all is clear there, I advance down the hall to the end, Mag light pointing the way. If I hear him run and I know that my wife and son are okay, I let him go. If he's still in the house at this point, I shoot on sight.

I usually use a Norinco 9mm w/Black Talons as my home defense weapon. I know that will be loud, but what I"m really concerned about is if I have to use my Taurus 605 .357 Snub Nose with the Silver Tip Hollowpoints, because those are LOUD. I guess I could slip the hearing protection on with it slightly cocked and put it in place if I need to. Whadya think?

 

[XLMiguel]

Yeah, what Logistar said. I have a kahr P-9 in the nightstad, a Kimber .45 in a GunVault in the closet, other stuff in discrete places.

We live in a pretty low risk environment, if it ever comes down to it, hearing protection is pretty low on my list of pritorities.

WatchCat is pretty effective at letting us know when there are visitors near the house (perhaps not as good a a dog, but he chirps and agitates when we have visitors-). In some respects, Jake the Cat is more discrete, but harder to ignore, than a dog.

Animals make very good perimiter defenses.

 

[Jeff White]

Just a couple things to think about as you refine your plan.

What wakes you? Perimeter alarm? Dog? Cat? Goose?

How long does it take you to find and load your weapons? Can you do it in the dark? Silently?

What are your interior walls made of? Have you fired the 9mm Black talons or the .357 Silvertips through a wall constructed like yours on the range? What about the angles? Coming out of your bedroom, would you risk shooting into your son's room if the intruder was near his wall?

Have you thought about moving to your son's room, securing him and retreating to your bedroom and waiting with the entire family for the police to arrive?

What's Virgina law say about shooting an intruder? Does he have to be a threat or is just his presence in the house enough?

Jeff

 

[SDC]

They've found that in MOST self-defence shootings, something called "auditory exclusion" kicks in, so that although you can SEE really clearly (super-focused on the threat), most people never remember HEARING anything. Besides, you might need your hearing to precisely locate a threat, so you shouldn't handicap any of your senses if you can avoid it.

 

[doseyclwn]

OKay, here's another question then. Anyone ever fired a .357 Mag indoors?

 

[doseyclwn]

....without hearing protection???

 

[cool45auto]

What?

 

[Logistar]

Actually, I WANTED a .357 for home defense. But, my .38 special is not nearly as loud. I can get faster follow up shots and I have less flash to worry about. With what would be point-blank range I am not convinced that I need the extra power of the .357 AND the .38 has less chance of overpenetration.

You might consider using .38 +Ps in your .357 inside you house. Whatever you shoot, I'd have it 100% ready. You may not have time (or the mental acuity in the wee hours) to load your weapon.

- just my opinion. YMMV

Logistar

 

[dev_null]

{humor}

okay, really stupid question (please don't shoot me)

Oh, darn. We so rarely get to shoot people around here, too!

{/humor}

-0-

 

[Horsesense]

Just my humble opinion, but I think a shot gun is by far the best home defense weapon.

I have been jolted awake and needed to shoot and shoot fast, critters after the chickens, thank God that’s the biggest emergency I have had, and I got to tell you I can't shoot worth a hoot with sleep in my eyes.

I don’t want to sound preachy but are you sure that you can align the sights and shoot accurately when you have been awake for 45 seconds?

Don’t get me wrong, if I woke up tonight and someone was attacking me, they would get a .357 stuck in the ribs and 170gr threw the chest, but if I had to get out of bed I'm grabbing the 870.

If I ever had to shoot in my house, I would think it would be a life or death situation and hearing protection would be the furthest thing from my mind. It's doubtful that a one-time event would cause any permanent damage and I could live with it if it did.

 

[doseyclwn]

Basically the reason for keeping the bullets and gun separate is because I have a 2 year old and want to be semi-awake, or at least more so than just waking up and firing immeadiately.

 

[Horsesense]

I see your concern. I have a 2 Y/O as well. Do you have a plan for teaching gun safety?

It's a tough call, trying to find the right balance between the risk of having a gun too accessible and not accessible enough, you have to take everything in account and do what's best.

 

[Art Eatman]

Back some 30+ years ago, I had an AD inside a walk-in closet with a hot-load .357.

Sure, it was very loud. It didn't cause as much pain as some muzzle-brake rifles at a range, however. Sure, I wouldn't voluntarily repeat it.

But in a self-defense situation the noise would be the least of my concerns...

Look: Some unpleasant things, ya just gotta teach yourself to ignore. The sting of a tetanus shot is a lot better than lockjaw. The sting of a blood-sample needle is nothing at all compared to the pain of cancer, if you don't get the blood-chemistry workup. The noise of a gun going off is better than suffering from the brutality of an assailant.

Art

 

[Moondancer]

Back some 16 years ago I had a ND in a bathrom (think mirrors). 125 gr. .357 Magnum JHP. My ears still ring.

But to echo (no pun intended) SDC, the "auditory exclusion" kicked in for me while deer hunting (pre-ND BTW). 4 shots of .357 Magnum, 158 grain JSP in approximately ten seconds. No ringing, no deafness. Weird. I always figured that was a physical phenomenon not subject to mental control until it happened to me.

 

[Salpalinja]

If the local laws permit, how about a silenced slide/pump action rifle using subsonic ammo. That could solve the hearing problem. Could be and propably is a stupid idea

 

[Stinger]

I get up, load the gun, yell "I've got a gun, get the f*&^ out",

You just told Mr. Bad guy exactly where you are.

Rethink your plan, be as quiet as possible, and wait.

The 1st step to any plan is having a plan, at least you are giving it some thought.

Stinger

 

[Logistar]

Definitely agree with Stinger. Keep quiet. Otherwise you might draw fire. If they don't threaten, let them leave. If they do I should have the advantage of them moving into MY sight.

Also keeping quiet might give you more time to GET prepared.

I did that one time... announced that I was armed and told them to "go away and no one would get hurt". While it did work out OK I decided later that it was not the way I would handle it in the future.

 

[geekWithA.45]

In our house, we've got a 2 level plan.

Plan A: Ambiguous noise, uncertain as to whether an intruder is present.

I clear the house with my .45, wearing armor under my robe, while the wife retreats to the inner most bathroom with the phone and her 9mm. She starts dialing at the first sign of trouble, and starts dialing if I don't give the all clear when I return.

We actually did this in response to ambiguous noise (the cats being particularly destructive) one night, and it worked out OK.

Plan B: Noise indicates definite or high probability of intruder.

I barricade the door, she arms, I arm, she dials, we both take cover and wait for the cops. In this scenario, she wears the armor, and I hide behind the one bullet resistant piece of furniture we own.

 

[sm]

I live alone. Even when I didn't I kept HD weapons in ready reach , loaded and ready for use. Currently CCW(s) are 1911 style , DAO or wheegun, always loaded and ready for use. Any one, or, combo is within reach.

I don't keep plugs handy, least of my worries. Yes I have fired full bore 357's and 44 mag inside without hearing protection. Auditory exclusion, never heard the shot(s). Priority was the shot(s).

Ears rang afterwards, but a Cutts compensator resounding off a trap house hurts worse , IMO.

 

[keyhole]

I prefer shotgun, pump. Hopefully when racking a round, the badguy would take off, saving a lot of headache, legal costs, to say the least, ( if shots are fired) Also shot less likely to go thru walls, ( use birdshot), hurt other innocents, and neighbors.
870 with surefire tac light.