Father Knows Best
Member
I shot my handgun in my home w/o hearing protection and I did not hear the shot nor did my wife. I believe it was the adrenaline that blocked it. I have spoken to quite a few people who have shot their firearms in self defense and they, too did not hear the shot/s.
Good point. There are plenty of accounts of people who fired their guns in "adrenaline dump" situations, and who could not recall afterwards having heard the shot. Your body does strange things when the "fight or flight" reaction kicks in.
A more familiar example is hunting. Any deer hunters here? If you've ever shot a deer, think back to that experience -- particularly the first few times. Most people shooting their first deer, and some people for almost every shooting, report afterwards that they did not actually hear the shot, and did not feel the recoil of the gun.
Finally, I'll note that in my experience, few handguns are what I would call truly "loud." I guess it all depends on your frame of reference. I fire .45ACP and .44 Special handguns all the time, and I'm around others who are firing them. While I use hearing protection almost all the time, I have heard them go off in close proximity without my "ears on." I don't recommend it as a general practice, but I also don't think it is that big of a deal. Now my 44 magnums, on the other hand, are LOUD. Just about any carbine-length rifle or home defense shotgun is also MUCH louder than a pistol in common calibers like 9mm, .40S&W or .45ACP. I can see a compelling argument for a suppressor on a 16" AR-15, for example, both for sound and flash suppression, but I don't see any particular need for one on a 1911 or other typical handgun.