I know they're all loud enough to damage hearing permanently and mine isn't the greatest at the moment and would like to preserve what I have left. I plan on "doubling up" but I know that some guns are still loud enough to hurt you even if you are taking all the precautions you can. I'm in the market for a handgun and was looking at the Glock 42 but now that this realization has come into play I'm starting completely over. Thank you in advance
Here are some bits of info I have collected in thinking about this issue:
A longer barrel will probably help this issue more than anything else. As an example, I used to have a keltec sub2000 in .40 (16"bbl) that felt almost hearing safe, like a 22lr rifle but a bit worse. I would imagine a 5" 9mm would be noticably quieter than a 3" .380.
.380 is definitely quieter than 9mm.
Heavier bullets are typically quieter than lighter bullets. This may be because they have less powder to begin with or perhaps because the gasses have not accelerated quite as much since they are pushing a bullet more slowly down the barrel.
Avoid revolvers, the gas escaping from the cylinder gap is significant and some of it is traveling in the general direction of your ears.
Max pressure has a definite correlation with noise level.
Hopefully someone with real expertise drops into this thread, but I hope this helps!
The noise comes from the bullet leaving the barrel, and the resulting release of gas pressure. Lower pressure at the time the bullet exits = less noise. Lower velocity is also likely to correlate to less noise, but far from perfectly.
Longer barrels mean that the pressure curve has had more time to follow the decreasing tail end before the bullet exits the barrel, leading to less noise.
For recreational shooting, .22 pistols would likely be the best choice among handguns. .22 rifles would be quieter. However, they are not so quiet that hearing protection can be skipped. I knew an individual who had significant hearing loss from shooting .22 rifles without hearing protection.
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This is where I can see value in a PCC with 147gr ammo. Especially if you have to actually use it in a hallway.
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Not another dime.
Also a niche application for a .40S&W carbine. In a carbine the greater recoil, higher wear and tear, and lower capacity vs 9mm are all pretty much negligible . 180gr in a penetration-favoring bullet like a 180gr Hornady XTP seems like it would be a good choice.Originally Posted by OlongJohnson
Do you mean "loud enough to damage hearing despite multiple layers of ear protection"?
"Sapiens dicit: 'Ignoscere divinum est, sed noli pretium plenum pro pizza sero allata solvere.'" - Michelangelo
I've been shooting for 16 years or so--no hearing loss whatsoever (and still way, way above average). That's after several years of indoor competition, as well.
I think you're looking at the wrong things, to be honest. Here's what I'd do, in order of importance:
*Shoot outdoors. Ideally on a range with no roof or walls. One of my biggest pet peeves is outdoor ranges where the clueless club management decides that since it's cold in January, they're going to close in the firing line on three sides. Does absolutely nothing for the cold, makes the range an order of magnitude louder.
*Avoid sharing the range with noisy, high-pressure guns. Other people shooting .50AEs and .44s is way worse than shooting such things yourself. This is exactly why African hunting guides hate rifles with muzzle brakes--they deafen all the guys who are paid to stand next to the rich idiot.
*Invest in quality hearing protection. On the low side, I just picked up a pair of Howard Leight Leightnings to outfit another range bag, and they're pretty damn good for under $20. On the mid-range, I don't think you can go wrong with either the regular Impact Sport or the Impact Pro, plus a set of Noisefighters. At the high end, there's always the MSA Sordin for ~$230.
*Use eyepro that has a goggle-style elastic band instead of eyeglass arms. This improves the fit of your hearing protection.
*REPLACE OR REFIT YOUR DAMN EAR PRO ON A REGULAR BASIS. Even I'm guilty of this. The gel ear cups wear out, dude. There's a noticeable difference. Refit kits are available from many manufacturers, and the aforementioned Noisefighters are an excellent option for this.
After that, yes--avoid Magnums, perhaps .357 Sig, all the usual suspects. If you reload, maybe switch to a 147-grain subsonic load for 9mm. But beyond that, I don't think it's making much of a difference.
However, the Glock 42 is pretty kickass.
yes at least that's what i thought was possible. I thought that even wearing plugs and over ear protection there were some that could still do damage.
Thanks everyone for the advice I knew barrel length did affect it but I really was looking forward to a subcompact to carry. Do you guys think that even if I did go with the G42 and as long as I used subsonic ammo with doubling up and trying to be the only one at the range that it would be safe? And BTW, is subsonic ok for defense situations?
I found this that you could put on a threaded barrel. https://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Kaw...ck-to-top-link
I have a MechTech Glock carbine with something like this on it and it is pretty quiet. It seems to direct the blast down range away from the shooter.
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