Handgun Noise Level

[IOWA DON]

I read about handgun recoil all the time like it's a big deal. I do not do a lot of handgun shooting but have shot .22 rimfires, a .380's, a .38 S&W, 9MMs, a .357, a .44 Mag, and .454 Cassull and a .460 S&W. Since recoil is felt in the hands with pistols it did not seem like a big deal like when shooting a hard recoiling rifle or shotgun where the recoil is absorbed in the shoulder and face, and ones head gets jerked around. However, even with double ear protection the center fire pistols are a big, big deal as far as noise in my ears. In a self defense situation one would not have a chance to wear ear protection so for me that might mean significantly increased whistling in my ears for the rest of my life. I have a .380 for concealed carry but would also like a larger handgun for taking with in my car. What would make the least noise but still have a lot of stopping power? Would a .44 Special or .45 Colt with low pressure loads produce less muzzle blast than a 9MM but have equal or better stopping power?

[SHOOTALL]

I figure it better to survive than worry about hearing . But nothing beats cubic inches so a 45 cal slug should be fine of the 3 you listed.
 I would add that a big bang and a huge flash might be a good thing when you know it is comming and bad guy does not. They call it disorenting I believe. Of course it can mess up night vision and make you deaf for the rest of the fight.

[williamlayton]

WHAT ? What did he say, I can't hear him. 
Blessings

[ole 5 hole group]

I don't think it really matters, your ears will take a thumping with whatever caliber you choose.  The blast & concussion from a 38 special within a vehicle with both front windows rolled down is painful for a few seconds and your ears will be ringing for almost 30 minutes - I have no idea what a 45 Colt would do to a man's ears within a vehicle but it wouldn't be pretty because it's not something you'd want to do on an outdoor range.
 
The adrenaline in a up close & personal firefight within a very tight confined space will keep you going but when that wears off, you'll pay the price then and you'll pay a higher price 40 years later - at least for most of us.

[Bugflipper]

I don't think it really matters. I've been in shootouts indoors. I still pass a hearing test every year. I have trouble with the faintest upper frequencies in my right ear. That's to high of a range for gunfire. Prolonged exposure would no doubt do permanent damage. I've never worn hearing protection while hunting either. Had a flash bang thrown in on me in training. The ears bounce back pretty good if it's not enough to break the ear drum or is not sustained for long durations. I think the upper part being dead is from a kiss concert years ago. There was ringing in my ears for 3 days. Couldn't hear the lady to order food an hour after.


One thing though in my experience revolvers are louder than semis when the same caliber is used. The gap between the cylinder and barrel lets more sound come out. The cooler the gasses the quieter the sound. So a full sized pistol is going to be a little quieter than a short barreled compact one in the same caliber. Most of the time a revolver is going to be louder than the compact pistol. A snubby is about the worst. Gap for hot gasses to escape then short barrel so no time to really cool.

[45-70.gov]

i carry a  ruger LCR   in 357mag
hand held ''flash/bang grenade''


i love it...i know its coming  and i will blink...they have no idea  whats about to happen
the blast directed away from  me.....[never get a ported gun...might even put your eye out]


i carry  what is safest and idiot proof and reliable...[DAO revolver]


the blast  is just a bonus to me

[ole 5 hole group]

i carry a  ruger LCR   in 357mag
hand held ''flash/bang grenade''


i love it...i know its coming  and i will blink...they have no idea  whats about to happen
the blast directed away from  me.....[never get a ported gun...might even put your eye out]


i carry  what is safest and idiot proof and reliable...[DAO revolver]


the blast  is just a bonus to me

Ya, go on down to your local junkyard, get inside one of their vehicles with the windows up or rolled down and touch off that "silent" 357 and let me know how that worked out for ya
 
Indoors is a piece of cake compared to a vehicle - but that 357 is one loud S*B with concussion to match when shot outdoors under a canopy - I wouldn't carry that beast in a vehicle for self-defense against a car jacking unless I was going to use it to pistol whip the perp.  If one had a can on the end of the barrel, that would work, but that's the only way I'd ever consider it.
 
For in-vehicle self-defense, a 22lr sounds about right and will get the job done.
 
 

[45-70.gov]

i don't intend to fire unless my life is on the line
then  that blast will be a BONUS.....and  he will get the worst of the blast


might even set him on fire

[mcwoodduck]

I don't think it matters.
When I am at the range my 308 is really loud if I forget to pull my ears back in.
But when hunting... i knoiw the rifle made a noise but it does not seem to bother me.
Same with the shotgun on the sporting clay range and out quail hunting.
I have only ever shot the big bore revolver at a deer once and I kind of remember having a ringing in my ears, but not too bad.
If you are concerned a pair of the electronic ears that look like hearing aids but protect against a blast may help with more than the off chance you have to shoot.  Cars back firing, construction, or other loud noises would protect what hearing you have left.
I think I saw a pair in Cabelas or Bass Pro for about 30 to 50 dollars. 

[SHOOTALL]

i once shot a 2506 in a truck cab . does that count for loud ? I was in the drivers seat shooting out the passanger window . It was at the range testing a load on a rainny day .
 
someone get that phone please.........

[mcwoodduck]

i once shot a 2506 in a truck cab . does that count for loud ? I was in the drivers seat shooting out the passanger window . It was at the range testing a load on a rainny day .
 
someone get that phone please.........

I once saw a guy hunting on our farm in a new pick up roll down his passanger window and aim his 44 out the window and touch off a round.  He dropped the gun and slowly rolled into a drainage ditch.  I walked up to see him knocked out and the drivers window broken and the windshield cracked.  The recoil knocked him out as his head smacked the drivers window and broke it and the report cracked the windshield.
I had to get my jeep to pull him out of the ditch.  Not sure if it was the over pressure of the round that knocked him out or if it was the recoil that pushed his head against the glass.

[IOWA DON]

Thanks for all the input. Bugflipper, now I remember that a revolver is louder than a semi-auto. My uncle gave me a .22 revolver when I was in 8th grade and it had a very large gap between the cylinder and barrel and was really load. When I got a .22 semi-auto it seemed a lot quieter. However, now my ears seem to be very tender and even my .22 semi-auto seems to make my ears squeal loudly for a while. They always whistle but nor real loud.

[mcwoodduck]

Thanks for all the input. Bugflipper, now I remember that a revolver is louder than a semi-auto. My uncle gave me a .22 revolver when I was in 8th grade and it had a very large gap between the cylinder and barrel and was really load. When I got a .22 semi-auto it seemed a lot quieter.You were just deaf by then.    However, now my ears seem to be very tender and even my .22 semi-auto seems to make my ears squeal loudly for a while. They always whistle but nor real loud.

[williamlayton]

I still wish I could hear what is being said.
Blessings

[spruce]

Not something to worry about if you need to protect your life. 
 
BTW, I had to read over these posts 3 times to hear what you guys were saying - I WISH YOU'D QUIT MUMBLING!

[45-70.gov]

I still wish I could hear what is being said.
Blessings

i can  barely  read  this....can  you re-post  in bigger type
i am still seeing  spots  after  shooting  last night

[jimster]

I still wish I could hear what is being said.
Blessings

i can  barely  read  this....can  you re-post  in bigger type
i am still seeing  spots  after  shooting  last night

LOL!! You guys made me almost spit my coffee on the keyboard again. Well, if your carrying for self defense you won't have ear protection, so if you need to touch one off your ears will ring, ya, but you won't care at the time. They might ring forever...ya. But carry what you need anyway. But that being said, for bumming around outdoors in the country with a handgun  and using it for most anything including defense, I never heard anything that hurt my ears worse than a .357 magnum, I have found that large slow moving bullets in a revolver does not rattle your brains as much as a .357 mag...I can't really hear your reply to this post, so type BIG.

[SHOOTALL]

My wife says I have selective hearing , when you have little you can't waste it now can yopu ? 

[williamlayton]

The Hen will never know how much I hear or don't---I try and stay out of stuff when I can,
Blessings

[Savage .250]

Seems like a strange concern with your life possibly on the line but that`s just me.

[45-70.gov]

Seems like a strange concern with your life possibly on the line but that`s just me.

yep

[SHOOTALL]

bottom line if the bang bothers you get a slincer for your weapon 

[Brett]

I think someone mentioned getting a .22 for car jacking defense... bad idea, I think the sharp, high pitched report of a .22 pistol or revolver causes more long term damage than the bigger 'boomers' do.

At least that's what I thought I heard my doctor say.     that or "Scooby Doo pitched a fit when someone stole Daphenie's bloomers."   

[stimpylu32]

This may help some , Db level of some more popular rounds .

.410 Bore 28" barrel 150dB, 26" barrel 150.25dB, 18 _" barrel 156.30dB,
20 Gauge 28" barrel 152.50dB, 22" barrel 154.75dB
12 Gauge 28" barrel 151.50dB, 26" barrel 156.10dB, 18 _" barrel 161.50dB

.223, 55GR. Commercial load 18 _" barrel 155.5dB
.243 in 22" barrel 155.9dB
.30-30 in 20" barrel 156.0dB
7mm Magnum in 20" barrel 157.5dB
.308 in 24" barrel 156.2dB
.30-06 in 24" barrel 158.5dB
.30-06 in 18 _" barrel 163.2dB
.375 — 18" barrel with muzzle brake 170 dB

.25 ACP 155.0 dB
.32 LONG 152.4 dB
.32 ACP 153.5 dB
.380 157.7 dB
9mm 159.8 dB
.38 S&W 153.5 dB
.38 Spl 156.3 dB
.357 Magnum 164.3 dB
.41 Magnum 163.2 dB
.44 Spl 155.9 dB
.45 ACP 157.0 dB
.45 COLT 154.7 dB
 
For what its worth , the normal Fire Alarm in a building is either 85 or 110 Db . depending on location .
 
stimpy

[ole 5 hole group]

I think someone mentioned getting a .22 for car jacking defense... bad idea, I think the sharp, high pitched report of a .22 pistol or revolver causes more long term damage than the bigger 'boomers' do.

At least that's what I thought I heard my doctor say.     that or "Scooby Doo pitched a fit when someone stole Daphenie's bloomers."   

Yup, you must have heard that from Scooby, as the 22lf is rated right at 132 to 139 dB and the new 22lf from CCI labeled the "quiet-22" is rated at 68 dB, which is quieter than your alarm clock - so, maybe a 22lf might still be a good idea as a defensive round in a vehicle but situational awareness is still your friend in avoiding the encounter in the 1st place and if you can't avoid it, then you'll be prepared to take pre-emptive action, which is usually a good thing.

[jimster]

.357 Magnum 164.3 dB

See, told ya....357 takes the cake, it rattled my brains more than once touching this off in the woods. I also notice .41 mag is the next runner up, I played with a Ruger .41 mag a whole bunch when I was younger too, touching them off out in the woods without ear protection did some damage for sure.
44 special and 45 Colt loads don't seem to hurt as much, but probably at this point I can't hear much anyways anymore. For defense these days I carry .38 special and .44 special mostly, but really for defense it does not matter how loud they are, so carry what you want for that. For bumming around the country and possibly touching one off without ear protection when the opportunity arises, I went with .44 spl or 45 Colt.

Would a .44 Special or .45 Colt with low pressure loads produce less muzzle blast than a 9MM but have equal or better stopping power?

.44 spl or 45 Colt will have plenty of stopping power yes, but since you mentioned wanting a larger handgun for your car...anything you touch off in your car is going to hurt no matter what it is.
 

[oldhunter]

Having grown up and spending much of my youth on a gun range, my hearing went south many years ago.  By the time it was popular to wear hearing protection when shooting, I was wearing hearing aids in both ears.  Last hearing test showed 36% of normal in one ear and 24% in the other.  With hearing aids in it goes up to 66% and 54%.  Constant ringing in both ears is standard.  When hunting I ALWAYS wear Pro Ears electronic muffs to prevent more damage and keep ears warmer.  When practicing, I wear foam plugs plus the best muffs I can buy to reduce noise level.  I carry foam plugs in jackets, four wheeler, snowmobile and SUV in case it is necessary to finish off a deer hit by car (twice) or just plinking in the woods.  Although I often carry .44sp, .38sp, 9mm or .22mag, I am more inclined to carry one of my .22's just in case it is necessary for protection.  Equiped with lasers, these little guns at close range are very accurate and would be lethal for the BG.  I never mow the lawn, use my chain saw, weedeater or snowblower without ear protection.  Can't afford any more hearing loss but if necessary in self-protection mode, would use whatever handgun I was carring without concern over the noise.  Take it from us oldtimers, when possible, always use the best hearing protection you can.

[gcrank1]

Wonder what one of those 410 handguns would rate at for in car or otherwise up close & personal?