Hearing protection use for home defense?

[daddymikey1975]

Just imagine....the cops show up...

you've got the perp spred eagled on the floor, covered with your ......

wearing your earmuffs....and butt naked...

HHmm....what a police report.

me: he broke in officer

cop: put that thing away

me: (drops gun)

cop: no, THAT thing

 

[Sylvain]

I definitely understand where you're coming from, but I don't think putting on ear pro is any more difficult under stress than using a light or operating a firearm.

Or using a cellphone, some of those fancy stuff can be really hard to use, using touch screens under stress and all.

 

[lovemachine]

It's not that complicate to put ear muffs on, it's not like it will use all your attention and keep you busy for 5 minutes.
Actually using your phone and dealing with the police will be more of a disctraction than having to deal with ear muffs.

If someone is in my house I put ear protection on, grab gun and let the wife deal with calling the police.
I dont want to use a phone and a gun at the same time.The phone is not what's going to stop the intruder.

If im alone at home I will deal with the phone later once I know the threat is gone.

Now you're talking about room clearing. Have you trained for that? Are you sure you're going to want to start clearing rooms, when there is an unknown number of bad guys? Unknown type of weapons they may or may not have?

Like I said. Keep it simple. My plan is to defend ONE room. The room where my family is in. Let the cops do the rest. They can wear ear protection if they want.

 

[Sylvain]

Now you're talking about room clearing. Have you trained for that? Are you sure you're going to want to start clearing rooms, when there is an unknown number of bad guys? Unknown type of weapons they may or may not have?

Like I said. Keep it simple. My plan is to defend ONE room. The room where my family is in. Let the cops do the rest. They can wear ear protection if they want.

I didn't talk about room clearing.Just grabbing a gun and not messing up with a phone.

 

[lovemachine]

If you have ear protection and your gun, an your wife is on the phone with the police, are you not worried about hurting her ears as well?

Are you going to take the time to make sure your kids have their ear protection on as well?

Too complicated.

 

[giovani]

Has anyone fired a weapon in their house (intentionally or accidentally) that can let us know what to expect?

First hand experience can often be a great teacher.

No but when I was young,I was helping a farmer get rid of some groundhogs in the barn yard with a 357.
I was walking between 2 buildings that were about 10 feet apart when I got a shot at one, I never did that again!

 

[Sylvain]

If you have ear protection and your gun, an your wife is on the phone with the police, are you not worried about hurting her ears as well?

Are you going to take the time to make sure your kids have their ear protection on as well?

Too complicated.

She would not be in the same room.
No kids.
Simple.

 

[Never A Victim]

Now you're talking about room clearing. Have you trained for that? Are you sure you're going to want to start clearing rooms, when there is an unknown number of bad guys? Unknown type of weapons they may or may not have?

Like I said. Keep it simple. My plan is to defend ONE room. The room where my family is in. Let the cops do the rest. They can wear ear protection if they want.

This is a great point that im sure has been discussed before. I have trained with military and LE on room clearing, but I will NEVER go looking for a bad guy in my house. You will have to find me. Thats how my game of hide and seek works.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I keep my electronic earpro with my hd shotgun and rifle.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Now you're talking about room clearing. Have you trained for that? Are you sure you're going to want to start clearing rooms, when there is an unknown number of bad guys? Unknown type of weapons they may or may not have?

Like I said. Keep it simple. My plan is to defend ONE room. The room where my family is in. Let the cops do the rest. They can wear ear protection if they want.

This is 100% true. If you've ever been in a situation where you think a firearm needs to be used (where you are facing with a potentially armed person, not just hearing a strange noise), you aren't going to be thinking clearly--trust me. You're probably going to get tunnel vision, and you'll be a mite shaky. I can't speak for everyone, but you're not going to have time to think, "Gee...let me get my hearing protection...I sure wouldn't want to damage my hearing." You're hardly going to have time to think at all. Every second will count. The entire conflict will be over in a matter of seconds...perhaps less time than it will take to find and affix your hearing protection. All you're going to want to do (if you even can) is gain a position cover and defend yourself.

 

[Burnsy]

Just imagine....the cops show up...

you've got the perp spred eagled on the floor, covered with your ......

wearing your earmuffs....and butt naked...

HHmm....what a police report.

Edit: I totally failed to see the lol in this post and thought it was a serious poke that wearing hearing protection would cause a problem in a police report . So as payment on my part I propose adding that one is not only butt neked but has toe socks on and sons of guns on the TV .

 

[Skywired]

This is 100% true. If you've ever been in a situation where you think a firearm needs to be used (where you are facing with a potentially armed person, not just hearing a strange noise), you aren't going to be thinking clearly--trust me. You're probably going to get tunnel vision, and you'll be a mite shaky. I can't speak for everyone, but you're not going to have time to think, "Gee...let me get my hearing protection...I sure wouldn't want to damage my hearing." You're hardly going to have time to think at all. Every second will count. The entire conflict will be over in a matter of seconds...perhaps less time than it will take to find and affix your hearing protection. All you're going to want to do (if you even can) is gain a position cover and defend yourself.

I agree 100% You said it much better than I did.

 

[actaeon277]

I'm going with auditory exclusion and KISS.
I've never seen a DGU interview where the Good Guy says, "I only wish I had used hearing proitection"

 

[Sylvain]

I'm going with auditory exclusion and KISS.
I've never seen a DGU interview where the Good Guy says, "I only wish I had used hearing proitection"

That doesn't mean it's not a good thing to have.
You will be happy you're alive no matter what, even if you get shot by the BG.But even then you wont say "I wish I had a ballistic vest on".

 

[iChokePeople]

This is 100% true. If you've ever been in a situation where you think a firearm needs to be used (where you are facing with a potentially armed person, not just hearing a strange noise), you aren't going to be thinking clearly--trust me. You're probably going to get tunnel vision, and you'll be a mite shaky. I can't speak for everyone, but you're not going to have time to think, "Gee...let me get my hearing protection...I sure wouldn't want to damage my hearing." You're hardly going to have time to think at all. Every second will count. The entire conflict will be over in a matter of seconds...perhaps less time than it will take to find and affix your hearing protection. All you're going to want to do (if you even can) is gain a position cover and defend yourself.

I think if you're already in the confrontation part, this whole issue is a wasted discussion... no? For this to even be a consideration, we have to be at the "I think I heard something" stage... right? In the "I think I heard something" phase, I've calmly put my electronic ear protection on many times, while lying in bed. I turn them up to, as someone termed it, superhero hearing levels, and sit tight and listen a little. Those of you who think the muffs will HURT your ability to hear noises have never used good electronic ear protection.

 

[atvdave]

My way of thinking is this:

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Stupid.

Don't complicate things. Someone is in your house, call the police, grab your gun, and keep your family safe.

Keep a pistol or shotgun or rifle or all 3 close by.

If someone is in my house, I'm calling the police as I reach for my pistol. Nothing else is going thru my head other than protecting my family.

^^^^^^

This..

Also... ever tried to peep out of a cracked doorway with muffs on? Your muffs are going to be banging up against the wall or door. Plugs take too long and cut sound down too much to hear on the phone, or someone walking down the hallway.

In most situations like this you most likely won't even notice the rigging in your ears till it's all over, as adrenalin will kick in..

 

[cwillour]

Reading this made me start to rethink adding another step to my "bump-in-the-night" routine, but I suspect I will stay where I am. (Knife, glasses, pistol, light -- in that order)

While I agree that the improved hearing of electronic muffs may be an asset, as a glasses wearer, I worry about any additional items that can interfere with my vision. I already stopped wearing my Peltors on the rifle range w/ my glasses since they disrupted my vision by pushing my glasses out of alignment and destroyed my groupings. (edit: I wear plugs instead of the Peltors for rifle shooting)

 

[GunSlinger]

If I may interject a dose of reality (which may only be valid for me).....
But, when that 'special moment' happens...and my heart rate exceeds 150, and my Adrenalin is pumping sky high, and my knees are knocking, hands are shaking, voice is cracking.....I'm experiencing auditory exclusion, tunnel vision.....

Heck....let's just say I'm a nervous wreck who is doing well with weapon safety management at the moment.....

I just gotta ask myself this question...... "Do I really have the ability to worry/think/look/place ear muffs on my head???

In my case.... I don't think so. Maybe you all are better then me...and more power to ya... But I just don't see it being realistic for me

I agree with Skywired on this. If you're startled awake from a sound sleep and your adrenalin goes from normal levels to 'fight or flight' levels instantly you're not going to want to waste a second gearing up other then to grab your HD weapon.

We've always had ADT in any home we lived in (well, all but apartments). From first hand experience I can say that only once did we have the alarm go off. It was at 03:17 (funny how you remember stuff like that) and I was out of bed and armed within seconds. I checked the master control panel in our bedroom and the service door to our garage had been opened. I didn't have to ask her as my wife was already on the phone with ADT and telling them to standby to call the LEOs. I began slowly clearing the house, I could already hear my heart beating in my ears, and feel my heart racing. All of my senses were highly peaked. I could hear and see very clearly in our dark house. Fortunately, it turned out that a strong gust of wind had blown open the service door as it wasn't completely shut (but was locked) and had tripped the alarm. With all of my senses so accutely hightened I don't believe my hearing and vision would have been compromised to the extent that I would have been ineffective.

If anyone has ever been hunting, have you noticed that once you've fired a round you've not be deafened?

Long story shortened, I won't be taking the time to put on ear or eye pro in a home defense situation.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I think if you're already in the confrontation part, this whole issue is a wasted discussion... no? For this to even be a consideration, we have to be at the "I think I heard something" stage... right? In the "I think I heard something" phase, I've calmly put my electronic ear protection on many times, while lying in bed. I turn them up to, as someone termed it, superhero hearing levels, and sit tight and listen a little. Those of you who think the muffs will HURT your ability to hear noises have never used good electronic ear protection.

Point taken. I own a regular pair of ear protection...it greatly reduces your capacity to hear anything. I only use them on the range.

The bottom line is this: It's your life, and it's your situation. If you feel wearing ear protection is right for you, wear it.

 

[iChokePeople]

Point taken. I own a regular pair of ear protection...it greatly reduces your capacity to hear anything. I only use them on the range.

Weird. Mine make every creak and rattle audible. I can hear MUCH better with them. Maybe you just have a lot better ears than I do -- I definitely have some hearing loss from lots of time around tanks, bradleys and artillery.

The bottom line is this: It's your life, and it's your situation. If you feel wearing ear protection is right for you, wear it.

Agreed. But I feel pretty confident that NOBODY wants to fight a middle-aged man wearing nothing but ear protection and rainbow-colored toe socks.