Gunshot decibal comparison

[Core-Lokt]

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[Core-Lokt]

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[upStomp]

I also think this is a great question. When I heard a 223 at the range last week, it was much louder than I would have imagined. Makes me wonder what my 30-06 is going to sound like when I fire it for the first time this weekend.

 

[Dziner]

I hate to admit it but one time at the indoor range, alone, I was giving my ears a breather while I switched from my M&P40 to my 1911 45. I inadvertantly forgot to reapply my ears and I let one fly. WOW... the reverb in my indoor range is near deafening. Literally. My ears rang for the remainder of the final 60 mins of my range session. Then. I took my 22 out to the outdoor range when I first bought it and decided, how bad could it be. It rang a bit, but not nearly as bad as the 45. I credit most of that to the fact that I was outdoors with the 22 and indoors with the 45.

In either case I don't recommend it, but if a round of 45 indoors did not make me permanently deaf then I would say that in a defensive situation I will deal with a little ringing in my ear to make sure the bad guy stays down!

Sorry, I know that does not answer your question.

 

[EddieCoyle]

The .460 S&W Magnum is the loudest handgun I've ever heard.

 

[Asaltweapon]

There are many things that change in what's loud.

I've shot my .40 outdoors for a few rounds and it was uncomfortable. I didn't think my .45 was too bad but again, outdoors.

I shot a squirrel a few weeks ago out the window of the house not thinking about my ears and I'm glad it was only one shot but I could have stood a few more.

I made the mistake of shooting my old .357 once. I was glad it was only once as my ears rang for a few hours.

I know of no place on line but it might make for some interesting facts.

 

[Blitz1]

http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=2052

About half way down the page

 

[Roadblock]

A lot depends specifically on the gun.

A gun with a muzzle brake is A LOT louder than a gun without- round not withstanding.

 

[upStomp]

Found a few blurbs online:

Varies heavily based upon the caliber, barrel length, and muzzle device such a a muzzle break.

One meter to the side of the muzzle, handguns will be in the 155-160 range.
.223/30-06/308 rifle are right around 165-170.

A magnum rifle with a muzzle break can add 5 or more decibels.

Also buying a radio shack sound meter will most likely not work accurately for testing gunfire. The sampling rate can miss the peak pressure level due to its short duration. You will have to spend several hundred dollars or more for a sound meter meant for gun testing

Source(s):
Did some sound measuring testing at work.

and:

Sound intensity levels are typical expressed as decibels, or dB. While the dB scale is expressed in linear increments, the intensity of sound levels progress exponentially along the dB scale. 0 decibels, or 0 dB is the threshold of human hearing. A sound 10 times more intense is expressed as 10 dB, a sound 100 times more intense is expressed as 20 dB and a sound 1000 times greater is assigned a value of 20 dB. What do some of these levels sound like in everyday life? A whisper is approximately 20 dB, conversational voice is closer to 60 dB. A vacuum cleaner is on the order of 80 dB, a motorcycle approaches 115 dB. A fighter plane on take off roll cranks out about 140 dB, which is quiet compared a firearm enthusiast's environment. A 12 Gauge shotgun is a 156 dB wonder, as is a typical 40 S&W pistol. A 44 magnum is approximately 164 dB and all of those big ported rifles tip the scale at over 170 dB. The threshold for pain is 130 dB and hearing loss, trauma, occurs at 160 dB. Ear protection reduces the dB level that reaches our eardrums. A good set of ear muffs cut noise by 40 dB, which brings that big ported blaster down to 131 dB. Keep in mind the threshold for pain is 130 dB. Slip in a set of ear plugs under those mouse ears, and another 30 dB is clipped, getting down to a the soothing sound level of a chain saw. But what about those around us who are not directly participating and protected ? Do we want a vision of angry villagers, armed and pitch forks and torches trying to get our respective wives to surrender us from our respective castles ? Do we want out children speaking in excessively loud conversational tones because they are sitting at the dinner table wearing ear protectors

 

[cekim]

The shape/configuration of the gun changes not only muzzle velocity but how loud it is...

A p22 firing the same ammo as a 10/22 makes a hell of a lot more noise...

Miculik breaks on ARs seem to piss off everyone around you, but when firing the gun, it seems little to no different than an A2 bird cage "break" (missing the bottom slot).

Just about anything is going to hurt in an SD... I am sure doctors would disagree, but it seems like a good idea to "know" what it feels like if only once...

9 hurts even outdoors... It will ring... Even 22 (P22 as mentioned above) is going to be really loud depending on the gun...

Short barrels, higher muzzle velocity (meaning hotter load) are often going to be louder...

Frankly, I wouldn't factor it in... Just know its coming and choose your life over your ears... (presuming you don't have some other condition, it will recover for most people).

Looks like we were all typing at the same time... What they said

 

[Core-Lokt]

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[economist]

Any decent self-defense gun/ammo combination is loud enough to be unpleasant, and even to damage your hearing (can't speak to suppressed weapons -- thanks Mass). But I'm one of those guys who thinks .22lr handguns are too loud to shoot without hearing protection (rifles I can live with). Having said that, the loudest thing I have shot is a .223 SBR -- even worse than Jim's .460 I think. Indoors that little rifle would just about make your ears bleed.

 

[upStomp]

What?!?!

Sorry...someone had to do it.

 

[Arioch]

I once shot a .44 AutoMag without hearing protection. One round was all my stupidity would put up with.

 

[Realtor MA]

Shooting without hearing protection at a paper target is bothersome and can hurt/make your ears ring. However, 30-06 with a buck in the sights sounds and recoils like a pellet gun.

 

[cekim]

I wonder what's louder...M59/66 7.62x39 vs. MA legal M4gery 5.56

They are both deafening... "The question is moot" -Jesse Jackson SNL

BTW, there are legal breaks/comps that are "quieter"... I find the A2 style to be better than the miculik break, some of that is just the miculik's ability to direct the blast pressure directly towards those standing abreast of the shooter...

Thaaaanksss.. That's so thoughtful....

The A2 style at least is only going to offend people standing further forward for the most part...

 

[gerrycaruso]

I'll be doing some carpentry work for a club member who builds suppressors.I'll try to be at the club on one of the days that he's testing noise level. I'll bring a variety of guns in several calibers and bbl.length and test them with his equipment. I'll report back. I don't doubt that EC's 460 is the loudest gun he's ever heard.

 

[meth0d]

I fired 5 rounds through my 12 gauge Mossberg once. I had had enough after the 3rd shot, and I have a definite loss of hearing in my right ear. Now I won't shoot anything without hearing protection.

 

[Ma$$hole]

The determining factors of how loud a gun is are: The length of the barrel (short barrel = louder shot), how hot of a load it is (Subsonic--> +P+), whether or not you're indoors (the outdoors will soak up the sound and a steel or brick wall will bounce the sound back into your ear), the last factor is one of mental state and that is if you're adreneline is pumping the same shot fired from the same gun will sound different depending on how much adreneline is going through you.

Examples:

-3.5" Barrel on a mosquito sounds 10x louder than the same round being shot out of a 10/22

- Same shot out of a 18" mossy sounds a lot more quiet in a 26"+ barrel

- I've shot a shotgun in the field and in a barn and I know that depending on what the sound bounces off of whether its plywood, or metal it will hurt the ears a little more.

- .38spl std round is a lot more quiet than .38spl +p especially with a longer barrel.

 

[Core-Lokt]

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[Jason]

Would you expect a Glock .40 cal to be louder than a S&W 9mm?

Looks like the main factors are powder and barrel length. So likely yes. Maybe a compact 9mm might be on par with a full size .40S&W though. I think I have another excuse for picking a SPL meter.

 

[edhead35]

After firing the .460 SW Magnum, I would also say its the loudest I have experienced. We were wearing plugs and muffs with that one! BTW I dont remember the exact ratio, but ear muffs with say 25 dbr and plugs with 27dbr dont give you 52 dbr, but more like 35 dbr. (decibel reduction)

 

[drgrant]

IMHO as far as handguns go, magnum grade revolvers are going to be worse than anything else by orders of magnitude, especially stuff like a snubnose revolver.

The SW640 I had shooting .357 magnum loads was by far the most loud, obnoxious handgun I've ever owned. The only thing that I've ever fired that was more obnoxious in blast and noise was EC's magnum revolvers. (.460/.500).

Typical 9mm/.40/.45 ACP autoloading pistols are loud, but they're nothing
compared to any of the above mentioned wheelguns.

As far as the whole "hearing damage" thing goes, I think it makes a bigger difference in an enclosed space. For example, if you had to shoot a BG inside
an elevator a few times with a .357 mag snubby, I can't possibly see how you're gonna get out of that without getting some hearing damage in the process, unless you're genetically lucky. (Some people, seem more susceptible to hearing damage than others do... )

-Mike

 

[wahsben]

Would you expect a Glock .40 cal to be louder than a S&W 9mm?

Of course! The Glock 40's have the Kaboom factor!

Just kidding all you Glock owners.

 

[terraformer]

Here is something to think about that hasn't been mentioned yet. Loud as measured where? If you put the dB meter head high a foot behind the gun, and then another downrange 20 ft, the readings will be different. All the folks saying the loudness is a factor of the caliber, barrel size, environment (indoors/out), etc are all right. But the loudness will also hinge upon where measured as well as how fast the powder burns and a host of other factors too.

 

[cekim]

Here is something to think about that hasn't been mentioned yet. Loud as measured where?

Yup, that was what I was trying to say with the AR breaks... In addition to the factors you mention, some direct the sound pressure in different directions in addition to attenuating more or less...

A gun that sends its boom downrange will obviously be more comfy to shoot (all the caveats of inside vs outside and reflection of said sound waves apply)...

Again, back to the original question, WRT to SD situations, fuggeddabbouddit... Carry the gun that is the best combo of comfortable, effective, and with which you are most proficient... It's gonna be loud unless you stop and put in ear protection like Borris the Blade...

 

[arlow]

I think my .300 mag with the BOSS muzzle break will definitely give that 460 a run for its money. I will never, and I mean NEVER light that thing off again without ear protection!!!!!!

 

[arlow]

Here is something to think about that hasn't been mentioned yet. Loud as measured where? If you put the dB meter head high a foot behind the gun, and then another downrange 20 ft, the readings will be different. All the folks saying the loudness is a factor of the caliber, barrel size, environment (indoors/out), etc are all right. But the loudness will also hinge upon where measured as well as how fast the powder burns and a host of other factors too.

Not only that but I think frequency will also make a difference. I do not believe, from personal experience, that the boom of a shot gun is as painfull as the sharp crack of a rifle.

 

[Kalahari]

When I was a few years younger, a work buddy of mine in Utah took me shooting out in the mountains. We were using a 10/22, some kind of .22 pistol (MKII?), and a 12 gauge. No ears.

The .22's weren't bad at all - they weren't annoying and didn't seem to damage my ears at all. The 12 gauge...well, he was shooting about 10 feet away on my right, and let's just say my right ear is the one with slightly worse hearing.

 

[terraformer]

Not only that but I think frequency will also make a difference. I do not believe, from personal experience, that the boom of a shot gun is as painfull as the sharp crack of a rifle.

Subjective loudness is not a function of frequency but of amplitude. Objective loudness is a function of sound pressure. You're example rifle crack has a large amplitude and very high pressure compared to the shotgun regardless of the frequency.