Can your ear get use to gunfire volume?

[smle-man]

It's possible to get use to the gunfire without wearing ear protection, does your ear build up tolerance to gunfire sound and it won't hurt your ear drum?

Because any high caliber rifle are very loud, I don't imagine soldiers in the fields wear ear plugs. So do they get use to the sound or are they all semi deaf now?

When the ringing in your ears gets loud enough it will mask the sound of gunfire. Then you go completely deaf.

[smle-man]

No Joke really........

With all due respect to the OP, I have meant to ask a question along the same lines....

I understand at the range, in a controlled environment, it makes sense to use eye/ear protection. But why do we practice? For me, its more-so for HD and with the thought of being ready if SHTF while at home. So what I do, usually with my last full magazine, I will take my ear protection off. Yup thats right...off...and will go through 10 rounds- with the loud bang. My reasoning is that if I were at home and I needed to defend, I would not have time to dawn on the gear. My first thought is handgun, flashlight, go on defense/protect mode. I also ask my wife to practice this same technique...only because I don't want the "loud" bang to ever surprise her. At the range, if you have never heard the sound of gunfire w/o the ear protection, it can be startling at times. And for my wife or daughter, who don't practice as much as I do, I could see how the loud bang can cause a hesitation in firiing off next rounds.

You are being foolish with all due respect. In the event of true action you won't notice the noise. The chances of a gunfight in your home is probably less than 1%; the chances of hearing loss by middle age is about 100%. Take it from someone who has reached advanced middle age and been around loud things for decades mostly with ear protection but sometimes without. I have measurable hearing loss, occasional ringing and the inability to make out higher pitched voices when there is backround noise like a restaurant. It is very annoying for my wife and family and I am to the point where I don't participate in the conversations anymore. I have been wearing plugs and muffs for shooting for the last 10 years to protect what hearing I have left. Of course when I first joined the Army in the mid 70s real soldiers didn't use earplugs. I went the whole BT cycle without hearing protection.

BTW my son who saw combat in Iraq and was an M2HB gunner and vehicle commander most certainly wore earplugs. He still has most of his hearing.

[BNuge]

I was told by a former Marine that they are issued two sets of different colored ear plugs. One for the range and the other color with less protection for duty. I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm mistaken.

[WaR_ClouD-VII]

it's called going deaf.

[Tacom]

No Joke really........

With all due respect to the OP, I have meant to ask a question along the same lines....

I understand at the range, in a controlled environment, it makes sense to use eye/ear protection. But why do we practice? For me, its more-so for HD and with the thought of being ready if SHTF while at home. So what I do, usually with my last full magazine, I will take my ear protection off. Yup thats right...off...and will go through 10 rounds- with the loud bang. My reasoning is that if I were at home and I needed to defend, I would not have time to dawn on the gear. My first thought is handgun, flashlight, go on defense/protect mode. I also ask my wife to practice this same technique...only because I don't want the "loud" bang to ever surprise her. At the range, if you have never heard the sound of gunfire w/o the ear protection, it can be startling at times. And for my wife or daughter, who don't practice as much as I do, I could see how the loud bang can cause a hesitation in firiing off next rounds.

Uhh how are you going to defend your home if you don't hear them breaking in? Practice this way long enough and that'll be a problem for you.

[evidens83]

This a serious question

[ke6guj]

There are some tendons in your middle ear that will tighten up when exposed to loud sounds and restrict the movement of the ear bones, in an attempt to attenuate the sound, but the attenuation is not enough to protect your hearing.

[jackliu239]

This a serious question

Yeah, I kinda getting used to my .22 sound without ear plug than from when I first started to using it. So I was wondering can this happen with louder weapons. But from the overwhelming responses I got here, it appears all that happen to me is that I have gone a bit deaf.

And yeah I really want to change the title of this topic and erase all the contents, but I'll leave it on here so that people in the future won't ask this stupid questions like I did here.

[bsg]

don't forget about the potential to get meniere's disease; middle ear damage that affects hearing and balance, and is punctuated with constant tinitus.

[bden]

And yeah I really want to change the title of this topic and erase all the contents, but I'll leave it on here so that people in the future won't ask this stupid questions like I did here.

Even though I poked fun earlier because your question was quickly answered, the only stupid question is the one not asked. We all gotta learn somehow, just be ready for a little razzing when asking something many others may consider a no-brainer. I've asked my fair share (search my threads for "garage door AR" and you'll see what I mean), it's just part of learning something new. Have fun, be safe, & save your ears (unless the wife is a total nag).

[packnrat]

loud noises = deaf.

you can cut down a tree with a chain saw in seconds..
.or you can cut it down with a pen knife...just a chip at a time..

end result is the same.

[bjl333]

Yeah, I kinda getting used to my .22 sound without ear plug than from when I first started to using it. So I was wondering can this happen with louder weapons. But from the overwhelming responses I got here, it appears all that happen to me is that I have gone a bit deaf.

And yeah I really want to change the title of this topic and erase all the contents, but I'll leave it on here so that people in the future won't ask this stupid questions like I did here.

Sometimes when people get into shooting without supervision or training, things like this will happen. Its when you actually ask a question that tells me you have an idea something is wrong. So your question is actually a valid question. There are a lot of things people do wrong when it comes to shooting, more so then other sports I think. So if you feel something is wrong or you just don't know ... ask !! Because there are very severe consequences if something goes wrong here. I've asked stupid questions before, it doesn't bother me. So the fact that you asked is actually GOOD ... My .02 worth !!

[johnthomas]

Methinks you should read up on how hearing works

http://health.howstuffworks.com/huma...r/hearing2.htm

Great post. My company tests us every year. We also have classes on hearing a couple of times a year. Our safety department also tests different locations with a DB monitor.
MSHA also tests at our location. Anything over 85 DB for more than an hour can ruin your hearing. OP, please go to the link and read it very carefully. Once you understand how your hearing works, you will understand the importance of protecting what you have.
Ever talk to someone that just smiles and shakes their head. Chances are, they did not heed the warnings about
hearing loss.

[KracknCorn]

My brother found full mag for his glock 23 after our shooting session, he decided to unload it real quick. We didn't have our ear protection on and I'll tell you, it freaking hurt when he shot those rounds. Took me a day to recover. Can't imagine doing that every day.

My hearing sucks as it is, don't want to lose anymore hearing. Ear protection is a must.

[mif_slim]

I've been pretty lucky. At ranges I use ear plugs but when hunting or blm I don't. I been shooting guns from alot of calibers since I was 4 years old (22) and got to 12g when i was 10 and went up the gun size since.. I also worked at the airport for 9 years and sometimes I hae ear plus sometimes I don't. Not that I didn't want to hae them, I just forgot them... But the last time I tool a hearing test (08') i was one of the top person with above average hearing. I'm glad my ears haven't messed up but, as I get older I do watch what I do more and more.

Oh one more thing, my father was in the artillery unit for a short period in Vietnam, they didn't use ear plugs... But he has better hearing then me! Haha...wierd...