The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Lock and Load: Live Fire Exercises

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 11, 2011, 09:07 AM   #1
Amsdorf
Junior member
 
Join Date: July 24, 2011
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Posts: 849
Use It or Lose It - Hearing Protection

A public service announcement style video on the importance of hearing protection and advice and encouragement on "double plugging."

Video here.
Amsdorf is offline  
Old December 11, 2011, 10:22 PM   #2
bacardisteve
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 5, 2006
Location: West virginia
Posts: 653
Tinnitus sucks. Did i spell that right! Unfortunatley its all too common in the military.
__________________
Kill em all and let God sort em out! USAF
bacardisteve is offline  
Old December 11, 2011, 10:44 PM   #3
essohbe
Junior member
 
Join Date: March 22, 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 817
I use wadded up toilet paper in my ears. Works great.
essohbe is offline  
Old December 14, 2011, 11:39 AM   #4
1BadF350
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 15, 2005
Location: Ashburn, VA
Posts: 915
I first developed a ringing in my ears when I was around 21 years old. I fired a 1911 with no hearing protection and my ears immediately began screaming. Ever since then I have teh ringing in my ears. I hear it now as I type this. I hear it all the time it is most noticeable when I try to sleep.
__________________
"I actually don't know what a barrel shroud is, I think it's a shoulder thing that goes up."
Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) Author HR:1022, when asked what a barrel shroud is and why it needs to be regulated.
1BadF350 is offline  
Old December 18, 2011, 11:05 AM   #5
Amsdorf
Junior member
 
Join Date: July 24, 2011
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Posts: 849
Wadded up toilet paper does not "work great" ... if you keep doing that you can plan on spending a lot of money on hearing aids.
Amsdorf is offline  
Old December 19, 2011, 06:06 PM   #6
m.p.driver
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 25, 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 552
Went into the Army with perfect hearing,came out with a loss in my right ear(Their rubber plugs suck). Ever since then i use foam plugs,and electronic muffs.Even when we go out to see local bands i find myself putting foam in,it just isn't worth any further hearing loss.
m.p.driver is offline  
Old December 20, 2011, 11:44 AM   #7
johnpfaff
Junior Member
 
Join Date: October 30, 2011
Posts: 3
Four years U.S.M.C., large guns, small guns, frags, etc. No hearing protection. Can't hear s**t.
Wife is always irritated.
Buzzing in ears that never stops.
Difficulty functioning in many situations.
V.A. gave up on hearing aids five years ago.

Take it for what it is worth.
Good luck with T.P. ear protection.
johnpfaff is offline  
Old December 26, 2011, 09:49 PM   #8
FlyinGN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 18, 2001
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 402
I have always 'double plugged" Not too proud to save my hearing
__________________
S&W 686 Distinguished Combat magnum 6" polished,
Beretta 92FS in stainless, Armscor 1911A1 in stainless,Alchemy Arms Spectre stainless/aluminum, S&W 22A 7" fluted, Taurus tracker in .17HMR 8" stainless, Firestorm mini 9
Benelli Nova 12ga in black, Winchester 190
FlyinGN is offline  
Old December 27, 2011, 03:33 PM   #9
tighty whitey
Member
 
Join Date: July 1, 2009
Location: Florida, near the mouse
Posts: 76
Always Always Always Double plugged

My hearing is already very fragile from poor genetics and lots of sinus infections. My tinnitus comes and goes, in fact, I've got some static going on right now.

I cant' understand why "suppressors" are so severally restricted under the National Firearms Act. It just makes zero sense. From what I've read the noise reduction would only be about 20%, but any little bit helps. The near ban on suppressors is simply assinine and I really would like to file suit to get this regulation off the books. I'm thinking that an ADA approach might work as well as a Second Amendment attack.
__________________
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made. ~ Groucho Marx
tighty whitey is offline  
Old December 27, 2011, 06:06 PM   #10
Steviewonder1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 16, 2009
Location: John's Creek, Georgia
Posts: 328
I use electronic ear muffs at the range. However, if you get into a shooting situation out in public, what do you use?? I did a Gun Fighting Class last year and one of the parts of the course was shooting from in and around your vehicle in an armed confrontation situation. The second situation I did not have my hearing protection on and from inside my car it was really loud shooting thru the passenger side window rolled down. You may want to at least test this situation out as in a public gun fight there will be no hearing and likely no eye protection. That could come as a real shock to you if you have not experienced it.
Steviewonder1 is offline  
Old December 28, 2011, 12:24 PM   #11
M14fan
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 26, 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 777
Toilette paper muffles the sound of voices and therefore may provide you the illusion of protection. It offers ZERO protection from gunfire. Same with cotton balls. I used both in my youth and now suffer severe tinnitus. I cannot remember what silence sounds like.

I now consistently use foam plugs under electronic ear muffs. Don't know if the NRR is fully additive but they are rated at 33dB and 25 dB respectively. I can hear range commands and still have very good protection from gunfire.

I do not recommend exposing your ears to gunfire unprotected just so it won't come as a shock to you. In a real gunfight you may not even hear your own weapon discharge as the catecholamine dump you experience will often cause things like tunnel vision and auditory exclusion. A single time firing a weapon from inside a vehicle may cause permanent hearing loss. A reasonable sacrifice to save your life, not acceptable for practice. IMHO
__________________
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."
--George Washington

Last edited by M14fan; December 28, 2011 at 12:31 PM.
M14fan is offline  
Old December 28, 2011, 04:59 PM   #12
Colvin
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 15, 2011
Posts: 127
What works best? Putting earplugs in with normal earmuffs too or electronic earmuffs?
Colvin is offline  
Old December 28, 2011, 06:24 PM   #13
beex215
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 10, 2010
Posts: 317
hope the military takes care of the people who lost some or all of there hearing while under there care.
__________________
my youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/beehasagun1?feature=mhee
beex215 is offline  
Old December 28, 2011, 08:47 PM   #14
illus1on
Member
 
Join Date: December 26, 2011
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 37
I wish i had took hearing protection more seriously the first time i fired my .44 after the 3rd shot i was trying to plug my left ear with my shoulder to ease the db overload (unsuccesfully) and after the 5th shot i had to stop and went home with ears still ringin a tiny bit and pain in my left ear.

Ever since then i have used ear plugs and what a difference, i will never fire a firearm without hearing protection ever again.

Unless my life depends on it...

-illus1on
__________________
"God made man... But sam colt made em equal."
illus1on is offline  
Old December 29, 2011, 09:42 AM   #15
Silent Bob
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 27, 2005
Posts: 288
Always have used plugs under muffs. Also have always used eye protection, more then once it has saved my eyes from brass that would otherwise hit me hard in the eyeball.
Silent Bob is offline  
Old December 29, 2011, 10:03 AM   #16
Double Naught Spy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2001
Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX
Posts: 12,714
Quote:
Toilette paper muffles the sound of voices and therefore may provide you the illusion of protection. It offers ZERO protection from gunfire. Same with cotton balls. .
Actually, tissue paper and cotton balls stuff in the ears do offer some hearing protection, but it is very poor. They are good for about 7 db nrr.
http://www.earplugco.com/hearing.htm
__________________
"If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011
My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange
Double Naught Spy is offline  
Old December 29, 2011, 12:33 PM   #17
MLeake
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 15, 2007
Location: Outside KC, MO
Posts: 10,128
I work around some of the louder noise sources on earth: turbine engines. I'm a pilot. I wear ear plugs during pre-flight, and when walking around a flight line. I wear active noise reduction headsets in the cockpit.

I used to ride a Harley. I wore ear plugs with a half-helm; engine noise wasn't too bad, but wind noise at 65mph plus is a bear.

I shoot a lot. I wear plugs, or plugs and cups.

My hearing is still pretty decent, in my mid-40s. But when I was about 30, I had a flight surgeon once ask me if I shot a lot of pistol. I asked why he asked? He said I had noticeable mid-range (I think around 4000Hz) hearing loss in my left ear, which is where gunfire noise would focus when a right-hander shoots from Weaver or Chapman... It was right after that I started using double protection; haven't noticed much dB loss ever since.
MLeake is offline  
Old December 30, 2011, 02:27 PM   #18
illus1on
Member
 
Join Date: December 26, 2011
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 37
i used to b heavily into home audio and at one point my system actually cracked the drywall in my house not only in the one room but in another room on the opposit side of the house. and even with all that abuse my hearing seems to still b good.

Firearms is another story tho. would prolly only take a few clips or cylinders to perm damage ur hearing without hearing protection.

Like i said earlier 5 shots from my 44 c&b without protection and my left ear had pain for about 2 hrs after.
__________________
"God made man... But sam colt made em equal."
illus1on is offline  
Old January 12, 2012, 12:59 PM   #19
Mausermolt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2007
Location: Ory-gun
Posts: 508
WHAT????!!!!! HHUUU????!!!!! im 21 and my girlfriend is always ****** when i say that. wear your durn hearing protection
__________________
Molon Labe
Mausermolt is offline  
Old January 13, 2012, 05:59 AM   #20
giaquir
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 26, 2006
Location: Deerfield,New Hampshire
Posts: 512
Hope to God, I never get into
a "shooting" situation but if I
did, my hearing would be the last
thing I'd be worried about.
Coming out alive with damaged ears
is fine with me considering the alternative.
giaquir is offline  
Old March 4, 2012, 06:25 PM   #21
CarbineWilliams
Member
 
Join Date: November 24, 2011
Location: VA
Posts: 66
I know this an old thread but it's always good to remind shooters about hearing loss and tinnitus.

I don't know what I would do if my tinnitus went away after twenty years... it'd be so quiet! I guess I'd jump for joy and do some kind of a jig.

I was first struck with tinnitus when I was 19 years old and sitting in the driver's hole of an M1A1 tank in the middle of winter. I had my hatch cracked 'cause the tank commander insisted on me having the heater running full blast and it was over 100 degree in my driver's hole despite it being 20 degrees outside. Anyway, I was half-asleep from the heat and didn't hear the fire command until it was too late for me to close the hatch. That 120 mm cannon was about two feet above my head and went off. The ringing in my ears started right then, despite my having a CVC helmet with earcups on.

I've never found a cure, and I have it all the time. Those herbal pills for it you can get at a lot of the pharmacy chains does knock it down a few notches... but it's ridiculously expensive. Same thing with going for real acupuncture... it takes it down a few levels but it's not a permanent fix. I think once you have it you are stuck with it.

Take it from a former tank crewman. If you don't have hearing damage yet, try to prevent it. It sucks. So, when you shoot put on your ears (hearing protection). To be on the safe side, use both ear plugs and the shooting muffs.

For ear plugs, I recommend the silicone moldable style (Mack's, for example) you can get at any drugstore. Despite the warnings on those about applying them just on the outside area of your ears, I recommend taking one plug and pulling it into two pieces, then roll each half into a shallow cone shape and stuff that (narrow end first, duh) into each ear. I've never had much of an issue with getting them back out.
CarbineWilliams is offline  
Old March 5, 2012, 12:25 AM   #22
SIGSHR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 13, 2005
Posts: 4,700
I was lucky, I came back from Across the Pond with no problems, I think's it's because I would let the wax build up in my ears until it was a solid block I could pull out in one piece, plus I shouted my war cry in action-in BCT I was notorious for my blood curdling scream in bayonet training. Having been a mostly indoors shooter I have been using plugs and muffs for over 30 years now. I use ear protection when I use power tools or even my vacuum cleaner.
SIGSHR is offline  
Old March 5, 2012, 09:13 PM   #23
lefteye
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 30, 2006
Posts: 1,433
I'm 65. I've used hearing protection for . . . only about the last 20 years. I've spent about $10,000 on hearing aids so far.
__________________
Vietnam Veteran ('69-'70)
NRA Life Member
RMEF Life Member
lefteye is offline  
Old March 7, 2012, 08:31 PM   #24
RoKsTaR
Junior Member
 
Join Date: March 7, 2012
Posts: 1
I'm 35 and have developed tinnitus from ear/sinus infections and medication. Oddly enough, being a musician hasn't change that; my ENT says there's a way to tell if it's noise induced.

I recently got my firearms license and joined a club, which has just made things worse For club entry (an liability insurance) you need to put 10 .22lr into the black and 10 .38 into the black. I've never shot a gun before and was pleasantly surprised I could do it I had planned to double plug, but couldn't hear anyone speak so I took out the foam plugs and did my 15-20 minute test with 4 other guys...I should have made the instructor scream and double plugged because now my ringing is even louder

Even I didn't have noise induced tinnitus before, I sure do now
RoKsTaR is offline  
Old March 27, 2012, 11:07 PM   #25
ltc444
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 3, 2011
Location: Vernon AZ
Posts: 1,195
need to read the hearing thread in the general forum. It explains the issues in detail. You should a set of foam plugs or muffs with a minimun NRR of 30.

I posted a discussion on range time limits on that post.

The thread is "hearing protection vs hearing Damage.

Wish I had followed my own advice when I was younger.
ltc444 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:07 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.10220 seconds with 10 queries