Wild West Gunfighters

[ConspiracyNut]

I've been reading a lot about the Wild west Gunfighters lately and I find myself thinking those guys must have been half deaf ?!
I mean firing huge caliber revolvers and rifles all the time , not knowing anything about ear protection and tinnitus , surely there must have been some consequences ?
Their health condition must have been bad .
I was reading about one of the deadliest shooters Hardin , in his thirties
he was going bold , had problems with his hearing and eyesight and was drinking himself stupid !

 

[TexasRifleman]

Well I guess when the average life expectancy for an Old West gunfighter was like 26 years old or so long term hearing loss wasn't much of an issue.

Or cirhosis either I suppose.

 

[justin 561]

Most of them didn't stay alive long enough to regret shooting their big caliber weapons without ear plugs. Also, most of the time they're drunk out of their minds to even care/notice.

 

[JesseL]

They probably did have a fair amount of hearing loss, but I don't think the report from black powder loads is quite as damaging as the noise from modern smokeless rounds.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

My relatives that were in WW2 combat never seemed to have much hearing loss.

 

[DFW1911]

Many of the legends, Wild Bill for example, suffered from venereal disease(s), the later stages of which can be quite devastating.

If they suffered from hearing loss it would probably be difficult to determine precisely what caused it, as I'm sure gun-fire was only one contributing factor.

 

[whosyrdaddy]

, but I don't think the report from black powder loads is quite as damaging as the noise from modern smokeless rounds.

I believe that most everyone who has had the benefit of sharing the firing line with a Walker would disagree.

 

[coloradokevin]

Honestly, I can't imagine how guys did it in police work 30+ years ago. I was talking to one of our old-timers not too long ago (he's a range officer now), and he was talking about the way things were done back then, in his first couple years on the job:

1) Poorly ventilated range shooting lead bullets, with a constant "lead haze" hanging over the place

2) Casting bullets in the back of the range in an equally poorly ventilated room

3) Shooting without hearing protection, simply because "you won't have it on the street when you get in a shooting anyway"... According to this officer, the old-timers back then used to tell rookies who were worried about it to just stick a shell casing in their ear if it was too loud.

I haven't confirmed this story elsewhere, but this officer is generally trustworthy, and I wouldn't think of him as the type to make something up!


On a more personal example, one of my good friends growing up never believed in hearing protection. I've been shooting with this guy since we were probably around five years old, and he didn't start wearing hearing protection until just a couple of years ago... I imagine that he'll have problems when he is older, but that remains to be seen at this time!

 

[Piraticalbob]

Times were different, as the saying goes. Life expectancy was lower. As for deafness, practice was done mostly outdoors, where sound could disperse better than in an enclosed room like a modern indoor range. Competence with firearms varied, also; the gunfighters weren't invariably gifted shots, and didn't really have to be, since most gunfights took place in saloons at distances measured in feet, not yards.

As for Wes Hardin going bald, men with Male Pattern Baldness typically start losing hair in their early 20's.

 

[Shung]

And you must also consider that "gunfighters" where not as active as you see in movies.. I mean, sometimes their reputation and their myth are far beyond what the historical truth is.

 

[spwenger]

A Good Starting Point...

And you must also consider that "gunfighters" where not as active as you see in movies.. I mean, sometimes their reputation and their myth are far beyond what the historical truth is.

...is Bill O'Neal's Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. For example, Wyatt Earp is next to the bottom of the "ratings," with no confirmed kills, five gunfights and five "possible killings or assists." Wes Hardin is second from the top, with 11 documented killings, 19 gunfights and one "possible killings or assists."

 

[Pilot]

Its sad to realize that most of these professed "gunfighters" were just cowardly murderers who shot people in the back when they least expected it.

 

[Shung]

..as you see.. in all those gunfights they might have hear less rounds than yourself in a signle range session.

btw.. it doesnt mean they didnt train and shoot a lot.

Its sad to realize that most of these professed "gunfighters" were just cowardly murderers who shot people in the back when they least expected it.

20 paces in front of your ennemi with a SAA, or 5 yards, in his back with a shotgun... I'd probably have made the same choice

 

[Onmilo]

WHAT?????
I CAN"T SEE WHAT YOU JUST SAID!!!!!

In addition to hearing loss, there were quite a few shooters with damaged eyesight and missing digits roaming around in the old west too.

Gun steel was not anything near as strong as what we use today, there were no safe job practices in place and injuries were commonplace.

A very tough place to hang ones hat!

 

[Iggy]

coloradokevin

I am one of those old LEO's, the firearms instructor for the Local PD I started with spouted the same thing your friend heard. When I went to work for the WHP, we were issued proper equipment, but the damage was done.

I have tinitus that is so loud I have to leave the TV or stereo on all night to drown out the noise so I can sleep.

Learn from our mistakes. Wear ear and eye protection.

FWIW, I was in several "serious social encounters", and I don't remember hearing a shot fired.

 

[dogrunner]

Well, I'll first hand confirm that 'thats how it was back then'!... and then some.

Not only was the matter of no hearing protection a fact of life in police circles it was also an issue in the military, at least in the '60s.

I retired as a LEO with over three decades of service and also did three active RA. During the latter not only did we lack hearing or eye protection in basic, but I also shot competitive hi-power w/ match grade 14s and ZERO protective gear!

Like someone said, times were different then, and it's no BS story about the ctg cases in the ears or the filters from cigarettes as well.

I have no idea what my hearing loss is, but I've gotta admit that it sometimes comes in "handy" relative to the 'honey do's tho.!

 

[oldfart]

I remember shooting BARs, 1919 A4s and 3.5" Rocket Launchers (Bazookas) with no hearing protection at all. It all comes back to me especially well when I sit on a quiet evening and listen to the bells... that aren't there.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Given the relative cost of ammo as well as the difficulty in resupply - with everything hundreds of miles apart on horseback or the stagecoach - I doubt if they spent much time shooting many hundreds of rounds in a practice session. Hearing loss would have been among the least of their long term health issues.

 

[.38 Special]

I work at a hearing clinic and have seen dozens of soldiers and LEOs from the "good old days". So while I'm sure that it's possible to have served in WWII without hearing damage, there are an awful lot who weren't so lucky.

Same with the LEOs who used a pair of cartridges for hearing protection. I actually had one of these fine old gentlemen in my office this past Monday or Tuesday who depended upon this practice through many years of training with his .357 Magnum. He had some hearing left in the lower frequencies...

BTW, the bit about not hearing shots when you pull the trigger on a deer or a bad guy is well documented. It's called "auditory exclusion" and it's essentially a matter of the brain prioritizing information. At some point other activities (not getting killed, for instance) monopolize enough of your brain that it just doesn't bother letting you know about "unimportant" things like loud noises. This does not, however, confer any protection upon your ears. It's kind of like cutting yourself on a thorn branch while running from an enraged bear: you don't notice it at the time, but it still happened, and if you live long enough, you'll see the damage later.

At any rate, I don't preach to folks about using hearing protection. You're grown-ups and get to make decisions for yourselves, AFAIC. I just try to keep people from laboring under the delusion that they can shoot without hearing protection and not expect to suffer hearing loss because of it.

 

[scrat]

Cowboys days

a good magazine to get is

Guns of the old west.

My take. there are some guns that are louder in black powder then smokeless. If i take my .50cal black powder rifle. shoot it at the range. Everyone will turn their heads to see what was shooting. when im shooting my .44's handgun revolvers. People who see them and the big smoke will be interested in knowing more about them. However they are not that loud at all.

Then comes MR. WALKER. Biggest Baddest out there. No matter what you do People will hear it. they will take notice of what was fired. No matter where you are on the range.


Now in shooting ability. the two most famous guns of outlaws and western gunslingers was the 1851 and 1860. Later of course the peace maker was the most popular. But it was those two guns. Having shot all of them. i can tell you they are not that loud. they are just easy to shoot with a good natural aim, they are not heavy. The Walker is a 16 inch handgun. Weighing in at 4 1/2 lbs. thats really heavy. its an impressive gun. but hardly anything your going to win a draw on. When someone has an 1851 or 1860

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Its sad to realize that most of these professed "gunfighters" were just cowardly murderers who shot people in the back when they least expected it.

"Of course I shoot my enemies in the back. After all, the idea is for me to kill them."
-- Uncle Herbivore

 

[scrat]

Quote:
Its sad to realize that most of these professed "gunfighters" were just cowardly murderers who shot people in the back when they least expected it.

"Of course I shoot my enemies in the back. After all, the idea is for me to kill them."
-- Uncle Herbivore

good point. Kinda like stearlizing a needle to give someone a lethal injections. Once there dead there dead.

 

[george29]

There were a lot fewer gun-fighters than Hollywood would have you believe. Most murders were probably bushwackings that happened with no witnesses. It's safe to say that most of the real lawmen were big guys partial to the scattergun and usually had it in their hands. I will see if I can find one of the few authentic photographs of a group of lawmen posing together, it was published about 30 years ago in one of the gun rags that I used to buy.

Here is a link to a photo of Texas Rangers. Notice they are holding long guns all of them. In deference to copyright laws, I am only submitting the link.

http://www.oldwestreplicas.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=218

http://www.oldwestreplicas.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=218

 

[sailortoo]

another "yes, that's the way it was" (in the old days - whatever). 1950's military (USCG - Marines) - no hearing protection on the firing line - M1 and 1911 qualification. 5 inch/38 turret deck gun - no protection for the deck gang. Hedge Hog anti submarine ahead thrown rockets - no protection. I can guarantee that there will be hearing damage - I hear it 24/7. What I can't hear, is what I wish that I still could hear. Seems that the advent of the jet fighter aircraft was the best thing to promote the universal use of serious hearing protection - at least for the military. Not Wild West orientated, but the gunfire/decibles is the key to the hearing loss. I see youngsters driving cars that seem to jump up and down with the UNIMAGINABLE noise/music? blasting everyone in a 1/4 mile radius - buy stock in hearing aid companies!
sailortoo

 

[Vern Humphrey]

another "yes, that's the way it was" (in the old days - whatever). 1950's military (USCG - Marines) - no hearing protection on the firing line - M1 and 1911 qualification. 5 inch/38 turret deck gun - no protection

Yep, and you can't get disability for hearing loss from VA -- "because the government issued you ear plugs." Not to me, not until the '70s.

But they did give me a nice set of hearing aids.