Ear damage from shooting indoor without ear protection.

[flatovercrest]

Has anyone shot an handgun in a confined room, without ear protection?
I find it hard to believe that you could ever recover from the damage to the ear drums.
I reckon that having to fire your gun in a emergency situation, in a confined space like a bedroom at home (and in the dark) would be an atrocious physical shock from the muzzle blast and noise, for anybody in the room. Especially a magnum or something in a big caliber.

[powderedtoastman]

This is one of the primary uses for suppressors. Our politicians watch too many movies.

[BamBam-31]

From what I've "eard," when you're involved in a SD shooting situation, the shooter often doesn't even hear the gunshots going off. So much adrenaline is flowing, the brain shuts out some details and heightens others (hence a common feeling of slo-mo). Yes, you will get hearing damage from shooting large calibers in small quarters w/o hearing protection, and yes, hearing damage is permanent. That said, if you're ever involved in a SD situation, your hearing is low on your list of priorities. Staying alive being #1, I would surmise.

[tba02]

Adrenaline is an amazing drug/thing.

Outside of that, when I was a kid, somebody fired a rifle in an enclosed space. Even with my fingers in my ears, it rang for days.

[pyromensch]

i have fired an ar-15, from inside a truck, while out in the middle of the desert. it was loud, ears rang for awhile. (coyote jumped up, and couldn't get out of my truck quick enough). inside a confined room, i don't know. there was a guy several months ago, who said he did a ND, inside his house, maybe search that thread, and find out how he faired.
Oh, and i don't wear "earings", so i doubt they would get damaged.

[CSACANNONEER]

Once your ears stop ringing, you've lost the ability to hear that exact tone(?) for ever.

Yes, I've been in enclose spaces with gunfire and no hearing protection and, YES, it sucks until you've lost enough of your hearing that you just can't hear it.

[Cokebottle]

It's not the ear drums that are the problem, it's the "harp" in the cochlea that suffers damage. High frequency hearing loss is the result.

Here's my latest hearing chart (and the test has an error, my right ear is 100% gone, but this test did not mask so I could hear and respond from my left ear).

The right ear hearing loss is from sudden deafness syndrome. Happened when I was 11 or 12. The high frequency loss in the left ear is from years of gunfire, motorcycle riding, and loud music.

I pass these cars with huge stereo systems that are vibrating MY truck and think to myself "They're going to be completely deaf by the time they're 30".
Other than concerts, I've never been exposed to more than 100 watts.

[Cokebottle]

Once your ears stop ringing, you've lost the ability to hear that exact tone(?) for ever.

If they stop.

Mine both constantly ring. Some days are worse than others, but it's always there.
Even though I'm completely deaf in my right ear, it still rings.

[meaty-btz]

ND in my case, as a teen. Ears rang for an hour then I was fine. Enclosed space, .38+P. So less noise than some rounds, more than .22. Hearing damage? I think the only thing it did was reduce it some.. minor.. small.. tiny ammount. It did not save me from suffering with being able to hear TVs Tubes Ringing from 80ft away through walls and closed doors, nor from hearing wires buzz in the wall at 60Hz. Nor from that aggrivating whine soo many cheap chinese transformers make. However, age seems to be blunting that somewhat..

[BamBam-31]

i have fired an ar-15, from inside a truck, while out in the middle of the desert. it was loud, ears rang for awhile. (coyote jumped up, and couldn't get out of my truck quick enough). inside a confined room, i don't know. there was a guy several months ago, who said he did a ND, inside his house, maybe search that thread, and find out how he faired.
Oh, and i don't wear "earings", so i doubt they would get damaged.

Not quite as funny after the OP edit.

To add, I talked to a gun shop owner who had to use a shorty AR-15 to defend his shop and employees from four armed robbers. He fired five shots inside the store, killing one of the robbers while the other three fled. The concussion from the shots was so severe the fluorescent ceiling lights went out.

He said as soon as he sprung into action, all he heard was a whining noise. No gunshots, no voices, no nothing. And shorty AR's are freakin' thunderously LOUD.

[CSACANNONEER]

Not quite as funny after the OP edit.

To add, I talked to a gun shop owner who had to use a shorty AR-15 to defend his shop and employees from four armed robbers. He fired five shots inside the store, killing one of the robbers while the other three fled. The concussion from the shots was so severe the fluorescent ceiling lights went out.

He said as soon as he sprung into action, all he heard was a whining noise. No gunshots, no voices, no nothing. And shorty AR's are freakin' thunderously LOUD.

I've seen the same thing happen at the indoor range I worked at. But, I've fired my 50BMGs in the range and not broken lights too. I really can't tell you why his lights broke but, I doubt it would happen every time.

[meaty-btz]

Lights Broke: Flaw in Tube Glass or The Shockwave was the precise frequency needed to shatter it. I would vote flaw, the chances of the other happening and not repeating are too long.

[Munk]

if you're ever involved in a SD situation, your hearing is low on your list of priorities. Staying alive being #1

This is the case right here. I'm just glad I've never been in that situation.

I've been around a few ... "overly excited" shooters that couldn't wait for others to get their ears on. Thanks to them my own .30-06 has left me with a very very tiny bit of tinnitus. I'm just glad I wasn't at an indoor range and I was as far away as I was.

I've seen the same thing happen at the indoor range I worked at. But, I've fired my 50BMGs in the range and not broken lights too. I really can't tell you why his lights broke but, I doubt it would happen every time.

I'm wondering if his brake is what did it. Send some gas straight up perhaps? Or knocked something into it. Those things breathe fire when they've got short barrels. It's cool at night.

[wrightb]

I walked into an indoor shooting range without any ear protection once, hadn't seen the lone guy off to the side. He fired a shot right as I walked it, it wasn't a big caliber or anything but it made my ears physically hurt more than it made them ring. It felt like I went in too far with a q-tip

[johnthomas]

I have a friend that is deaf from shooting a wheel mounted shotgun used to knock the slag off the inside of a rotary kiln. In the more "manly" days they didn't wear ear plugs. Now when someone talks to him, he just smiles and nods. Not a vision of myself I want to see in the future. Ear loss can happen quickly or over time. The thing is to protect your hearing the best you can in normal situations. Don't take chances with your hearing.