My Issue With A Carry Gun

[Orion8472]

Sorry for this topic. I know many will think it is dumb, but I'm bringing it up anyway.

It is an unfortunate thing, but I have sensitive hearing. But I still going to the range...thus only shoot 22lr. I have no issues with firing these. And before I continue, yes, I always use hearing protection.....good quality foamies and sometimes good quality earmuffs.

A 9mm can be a problem because of how loud it is and the "blast". Because of this, I had gone to carrying a Ruger LCP II in 22lr and using 45gr subsonic rounds just for the unlikely event that I'd have to defend myself while not having hearing protection on.

Why does it matter? Because I want to preserve my hearing more than I want to shoot powerful guns. I enjoy music too much. And it isn't just about that extremely rare incident. It's about training with it to become proficient with that gun. If I had a 9mm carry gun, I wouldn't be able to do this because how much practice would be needed.

But I got to thinking about the topic very recently. Most would say that 22lr is NOT a round to use in a self defense situation. And they're probably right....especially what I'm using. And honestly, I don't like the LCP II. I don't like how it feels in my hand, nor the sights.

My question is there any pistol ammo, in a good caliber [for defense] that would be less blast than typical rounds?

 

[nofendertom]

Wadcutters in a 4in .38 cal revolver comes to mind as a "quieter" option.

 

[chicharrones]

My thoughts immediately go to a revolver stuffed with .32 S&W Long, but that's not an autoloading pistol cartridge.

Which then makes me think of something in .32 ACP, of which the American made versions tend to be lower powered than the European made .32 ACP. Which makes me think of the KelTec P32 to be comparable to the Ruger LCP in size and action type.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

First, if you decide you absolutely must go with .22 LR, get a revolver.

Even the best rimfire ammo is prone to misfires due to the priming system, and a malf in a defensive situation with an already underpowered round is a truly terrifying scenario. Your need for follow up shots will be greater with a very light bullet at modest velocity. With a revolver you can keep pulling the trigger and get a fresh round if you happen to luck into a dud on the day.

As an alternative, you might also consider a .38 revolver using full wadcutters at just under supersonic velocities. There are a couple of target pistols that will shoot these, but I can't think of a suitable CCW autopistol they'll work in. Go with a 3-4" barrel for more complete powder combustion and slightly less bark.

Other than that, I'm stumped. Handguns are noisy, and even the small autoloaders are pretty loud unless you add a suppressor.

 

[Orion8472]

As of late, I've not been carrying anything. But my niece has been lately wanting me to take her to a local park to watch the progress of the tadpoles. It's fairly safe there,...but there have been things happen there.

I suppose I could just walk around with earplugs in. LOL

 

[hso]

A .22lr out of a handgun can range from 130 to 150 dB. The table below shows the average dB of different pistol calibers.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

This may be total fuddlore, but let me throw it out here: try opening you mouth widely if you need to shoot without ear protection. I read somewhere that some full auto shooters do this to open their Eustachian tubes and help equalize concussion on their eardrums.

I've gotten into the habit of doing this automatically when surprised by jackhammers or subwoofers -- don't know if it actually helps.

 

[chicharrones]

As of late, I've not been carrying anything. But my niece has been lately wanting me to take her to a local park to watch the progress of the tadpoles. It's fairly safe there,...but there have been things happen there.

I suppose I could just walk around with earplugs in. LOL

Now that my memories are coming back on this topic, I remember back in the '90s that I'd fire my ol' Beretta Bobcat with no hearing protection alongside my shootin' buddies with their rimfire handguns.

When I'd shoot CCI Stingers out of that Bobcat, anyone next to me would wince and make unkind remarks about my gun and ammo selection. Makes me think of what Stingers would be like out of an LCP II.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I'm betting that the odds of you needing to shoot at someone is s pretty low.

If the worst should happen, priority objective is to survive.

Carry a gun in a cartridge commonly used for self defense. Practice with 22 if you like.

 

[CDW4ME]

45 acp decibels is on par with 380 in the chart posted by @hso
45 rather than 380 to defend my life would be a easy choice for me.

Stopping a threat(s) before they can inflict serious or lethal injury is the point of carrying; select a caliber that has best potential to achieve that goal ASAP.
If the bullets you are carrying fail to stop threat(s) before they can inflict lethal injury you won't have to worry about potential hearing loss or anything else.

 

[WrongHanded]

45 acp decibels is on par with 380 in the chart posted by @hso
45 rather than 380 to defend my life would be a easy choice for me.

Stopping a threat(s) before they can inflict serious or lethal injury is the point of carrying; select a caliber that has best potential to achieve that goal ASAP.
If the bullets you are carrying fail to stop threat(s) before they can inflict lethal injury you won't have to worry about potential hearing loss or anything else.

I too think that in this case a heavy slow .45acp would be a superior choice. Choose JHPs that expand well but aren't travelling much beyond the nominal velocity of 830fps (maybe more like 850fps these days) with a 230gr bullet from a 5" barrel.

 

[chicharrones]

45 acp decibels is on par with 380 in the chart posted by @hso
45 rather than 380 to defend my life would be a easy choice for me.

Stopping a threat(s) before they can inflict serious or lethal injury is the point of carrying; select a caliber that has best potential to achieve that goal ASAP.
If the bullets you are carrying fail to stop threat(s) before they can inflict lethal injury you won't have to worry about potential hearing loss or anything else.

I too think that in this case a heavy slow .45acp would be a superior choice. Choose JHPs that expand well but aren't travelling much beyond the nominal velocity of 830fps (maybe more like 850fps these days) with a 230gr bullet from a 5" barrel.

Now you guys have me pondering the idea of a .44 Special revolver and some reloading equipment to custom tailor the loads to the wants or needs of the shooter.

One factory loaded example
https://magtechammunition.com/products/ammunition/44-sw-spl-low-recoil-240gr-fmj/

 

[Terry G]

What did you say?

 

[AUhiker]

You can get earplugs for shooting that amplify sounds but cut off over a certain decibel level. Look at walkers ear buds

 

[TarDevil]

So, you won't hear a thing if you are attacked by someone with lethal intent and you can't stop them.

Carry a cane and mace. Leave the. 22 at home. It will only give your adversary more reason to kill you.

 

[hso]

I'm going to recommend carrying a .357 and practicing with 38spl loaded as lightly as possible. Always wearing maximum NRR plugs (33) under maximum NRR muffs (30) at the range should be automatic to you. Also, try outdoor ranges instead of indoor when practicing. That's about quietest combination on the chart for practice. If that's too loud, then get a .22 version of the same revolver for practice. If revolvers are out then semis in .22 and 9 or 45 are your next best bet. A Sig 226 with a 9 and a .22 upper could be another fix.

A .22 might eventually kill an attacker, but you don't have "eventually" in SD incidents.

For SD, your hearing won't matter if you're dead because the attacker had time to beat you to death before expiring.

 

[InTheSwamp]

In a self-defense situation, it's your hearing vs. your life. Choose wisely.

 

[dweis]

Get a Ruger Security 380. Reasonable barrel length and overall size. It is only 2.7 DB older than 22,but it much more powerful. And it is lite rack with little recoil. A sweet shooter that can get expansion out of it’s 3.42 inch barrel.

 

[Mike J]

I wouldn't carry a .22 for self defense. While some .22 ammunition does much better than others there is always more chance of a dud with a rimfire round.

 

[Dirtybob]

outdoor ranges instead of indoor when practicing.

this
outdoors with no overhead cover is my preference (least loud) though some guns are still obnoxious (short barrel AR anyone?)

unless unable to handle a larger caliber I can't say I would recommend .22 for SD...

 

[shoobe01]

I'd start for sure by making sure your training time is as comfortable as possible. As mentioned: better earpro, and try to do muffs over plugs.

Outdoors. If you are using an indoor range, or one with steel overhead cover: go somewhere else. Try open area if at all possible. The muzzle sounds won't bounce back at you.

As you mentioned: blast, not just sound directly. Sound comes through your whole head, so hearing protection in the Army includes helmets and goggles. You probably don't need a helmet, but DO consider getting bigger shooting glasses. I have several pairs of safety goggles and glasses, and the biggest ones do noticeably reduce perceived sound pressure to my head.

(Get a suppressor! They are fun. They even make integrally suppressed guns, see the SilencerCo Maxim but it's a bit large).

Hearing loss is a physiological issue. But in a high stress situation you won't notice the blast, and noise. Sure, you will suffer a bit of hearing danage depending on the environment, but you won't jerk or cringe from it esp if you are trained and your brain is familiar with the gun being happy and comfortable to shoot.

 

[jdc1244]

But I still going to the range...thus only shoot 22lr.

Aren’t others shooting louder cartridges at the range as well?

Is your hearing so sensitive that no form of hearing protection works, such as ear plugs and muffs?

As already correctly noted, it’s unlikely you’ll use your carry gun in SD; and if you do, you’ll pull the trigger once, perhaps twice – any discomfort would be short-lived which merits using a more appropriate centerfire round.

The hearing problem and what chambering to use for self-defense seem to be unrelated issues.

 

[Col. Harrumph]

Won't help in a serious social engagement, but for practice, use these along with your foamies:
https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leigh...1683490759&sprefix=howard,aps,178&sr=8-9&th=1

 

[FL-NC]

They are all bad for your ears without protection, but some are worse than others. It is very unlikely you will have the opportunity to use hearing protection if you need to defend yourself with any gun, since attackers are very inconsiderate of others and probably won't say "eyes and ears" before they attack you. I would prioritize preserving my life over preserving my hearing (I also have considerable hearing loss and tinnitis). Based on my experiences shooting critters like possums, foxes, etc. with 22 LR and seeing less than stellar performance, I sure wouldn't use it against anything that was capable of really hurting me if I had the option to use something better in the first place. In the final analyses, if I live to be an old man with hearing aids or even deaf as a post because I needed to use a gun in an appropriate caliber without hearing protection to save my life (again), so be it. Also, your hearing will suffer if you are shot by (or even shot at and missed by) someone else's gun and survive. Also also, I have been shot and it was a painful experience- much more so than getting my ears blasted by any gun I have ever fired.

 

[Orion8472]

Thanks for all the replies. A few bits of info from it all.

1. I always use 33dB foams at the range. If someone next to me is shooting something louder than 22lr, I'll use ear muffs as well.
2. I CAN shoot other things, and am somewhat okay. When I shoot 9mm, I use 147gr rather than 115. I can tell the difference. My AR has a very good forward blow comp, so I can shoot that some.
3. I always shoot at an outdoor range...but it has walls and baffles that can bounce sound back at me. I am very limited where I can shoot.
4. As for the Ruger LCP II, I've been considering selling it,...because yeah,...not a good caliber choice.
5. From hso's chart, it looks like 45ACP is about the "quietest" of the larger calibers. And I'm rather surprised at the 44Special dB.

Dirtybob, I had the grave misfortune of being in the next booth to someone with an AR pistol. The loudest thing I've ever been next to. I had to leave the range early.