The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Dave McCracken Memorial Shotgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 7, 2004, 07:19 PM   #1
jimfrompa
Junior Member
 
Join Date: November 8, 2004
Posts: 9
how loud?

if one ever had to use a shotgun indoors for home defense, how loud would it be and what kind of hearing damage would result?
jimfrompa is offline  
Old December 7, 2004, 07:27 PM   #2
mete
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 14, 2004
Location: NY State
Posts: 6,575
ANY gun fired indoors is very loud. A shot from a 357 indoors for me meant difficulty in hearing anything for 1/2 hour. If you had time to use ear protection do it but often it's a matter of saving your life but sacrificing your ears. But it might cause you problems for subsequent shots , flinching , disorientation etc.
mete is offline  
Old December 7, 2004, 09:25 PM   #3
Danindetroit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 1, 2004
Location: Detroit
Posts: 757
That is an interesting question. I wonder if a set of those hunting hearing protectors, that amplify sound to hear the badguy, then eletronically quiet firearms reports, should be on the HD to get list. It would be a shame to have a BG sneak up on you after wasting his bud.
Danindetroit is offline  
Old December 7, 2004, 09:30 PM   #4
jimfrompa
Junior Member
 
Join Date: November 8, 2004
Posts: 9
i get the feeling that a short-barreled shotgun is the best choice for home defense, but i don't want to go deaf if i ever have to use one!

(especially if it takes more than one shot to end the fight).
jimfrompa is offline  
Old December 7, 2004, 10:16 PM   #5
Fen
Member
 
Join Date: November 22, 2004
Location: North Pole
Posts: 47
I fired a 9mm inside a run down adobe house once. Several rounds in fact. It wasn't unbearable but my ears were certainly ringing afterwards. I'm not sure I would do the same with a shotty or my 44mag. Might as well be playing soccer with a FlashBang grenade.
Fen is offline  
Old December 7, 2004, 10:57 PM   #6
esldude
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 16, 2004
Posts: 438
Fired an AK-47 indoors once. Just one shot. Was stunningly loud. As in it stunned me a moment or two. My hearing was effected in a manner very much like the sound effect used at the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan" during the beach landing. You can hear, but it is swimmy and muffled. Things seem distant because of it.

I would think a shotgun would be a good deal louder.
Indoors that may be enough to stun most people at least for a few seconds. Can only be worse on the other end of the barrel too.
esldude is offline  
Old December 8, 2004, 12:46 AM   #7
Avizpls
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 9, 2004
Posts: 774
Not indoors, but I know what the "swimmy" sound is. I was standing next to a babbling brook at my house, fired, and the babling turned into a roaring rapids about 1 mile away.

Try that. Focus in on a sound, then fire, and see what it sounds like now...
Avizpls is offline  
Old December 8, 2004, 12:54 AM   #8
Danindetroit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 1, 2004
Location: Detroit
Posts: 757
What is the best way to stop hearing damage to family, and maybe pets, dwn comforter over thier head, hand over ears? How about person doing the protecting?
Danindetroit is offline  
Old December 8, 2004, 08:55 AM   #9
dfaugh
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 17, 2002
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 1,715
Really Really Loud

Shooting pidgeons in my barn (without hearing protection), noted that .22 was noticably louder (and this in a pretty large open space, with lots of sound absorbing material). At the range I shoot at the benches are enclosed on 3 sides, and roof, of course, and (with hearing protection) my guns seem at least twice as loud as when I shoot out back in my woods, if not more....I'd think a 12 guage in a 10x12 room would be STUNNING to say the least...And its a good point...after the 1st shot you probably won't be able to here s**t...so what about the other BG moving around the house (assuming he wasn't close enough to be deafened, too).....Hmmmmmmmmmmm
__________________
"If you Listen to Fools, the Mob Rules"

"No one has the answer, but one thing is true.
You'e got to turn on evil, when its coming after you.
You've gotta face it down,and when it tries to hide,
you've got to go in after it, and never be denied.
Time is running out...Let's roll.
Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for love.
We're going after satan, on the wings of a dove.
Let's roll for freedom, let's roll for truth.
Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth."
dfaugh is offline  
Old December 8, 2004, 11:32 AM   #10
ampleworks
Member
 
Join Date: September 25, 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 87
To me, my XD is louder than any of my shotguns and this little Jennings 22 that someone gave me is even louder than that. I'd shoot a shotgun indoors over my XD anyday though.

Something to do with the concussion maybe, higher chamber pressure making the sound pressure louder?

Hell someone is in my house, I don't give a **** about the noise because it'll either be them or me and I definately don't plan on it being me!
ampleworks is offline  
Old December 9, 2004, 03:39 PM   #11
partyguy816
Member
 
Join Date: October 5, 2004
Posts: 80
Shooting a shotgun in doors for self defense won't hurt your ears. Your adrenaline will be pumping and that will be the last thing you will think about.
partyguy816 is offline  
Old December 9, 2004, 05:39 PM   #12
sageowl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 7, 2004
Posts: 194
Shooting anything indoors will wake you up to say the least. Depending on the adrenaline the intensity of the effect may vary, but it certainly will be there. In theory, the electronic hearing protection is a good idea, but realistically its not very practical, as it will slow you down fumbling with it assuming you remember it in the first place. What was mentioned earlier about the family's hearing protection, I'd focus my plan more on getting them out or getting them to where you can cover them (and, ideally, not shoot them in the darkness and confusion). So with that said, it's going to be a sizeable boom any way you look at it, so get the gun that works for you and familiarize yourself with the noise in whatever way you see fit without deafening yourself.
sageowl 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 03:01 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 0.08834 seconds with 8 queries