buzzgum

$200 BATF Tax Stamp, background check fee, Class 3 FFL Dealer transfer fee (varies by dealer), $250 - $500 for suppressor (depending on manufacturer and caliber) some more money for a threaded barrel and gunsmith fee. In my case, it would be for my XD-45acp Service model and it'll end up costing me almost twice as much as I paid for my pistol.

limatunes

I once asked my husband if he actually "heard" anything while in combat and after thinking for a few minutes he said, "No, not really."

Yes, soldiers do experience hearing loss but not NEARLY as much as hearing experts would expect due to their occupation. I'll try to find the article I read on this exact subject.

Adrenaline, shock, all of those automatic responses are designed to protect the body, including your hearing.

When people tell me they want to go out to the range without hearing protection to "get ready" for what the shots will sound like without hearing protection if they need their firearm in self defense I try to remind them that they are going to do more damage to their ears in that "practice" session than they will ever do in a self defense situation because the adrenaline is not protecting their ears.

The moment you are awoken in the middle of the night you are going to start experiencing adrenaline because you are already on alert and, possibly, a little frightened. When you go down the hall and see that intruder my guess is just about the time your brain even thinks to pull that trigger your body is going to experience such an adrenaline dump that a 40mm could go off just behind you and you'd barely hear a pop.

Don't worry about the noise. Chances are it won't do serious damage. Protect your hearing when your body isn't going to do it for you. You only get one set of ears.

I also agree about what was said in regards to the muzzle flash. If it's dark enough where muzzle flash would blind you it's too dark for positive target identification. Look into getting a good flashlight and practicing with it.

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Limatunes' Range Diaries

Ram Rod

The first shot----normally you'd go deaf on this one. Thing about the human body and adrenaline--it's sort of a chemical protection for the human body. While you remain focused on your target-you'll also have tunnel vision and be pretty much in your own little world and oblivious to other things as long as you're engaged in the situation. You may even get shot yourself and not know it immediately if not struck in a vital area as even pain will have a delayed reaction. When the situation is resolved and the adrenaline subsides, you'll likely start to feel the pain, or ringing in the ears, etc......

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RamRod-----sans remords

wagglebee

A suppressor would certainly cut down on muzzle flash, but as others have suggested, so would a flashlight (which will also help in identifying the bad guy).

As far as your wife and sons hearing, if there is someone in the house and you are defending them, they need to be locked in a room together calling 911 if at all possible. If they are in a different room with the door closed, there really is no chance of hearing damage from handgun fire.

sheepdog

Google "auditory exclusion."
I was not in a house when I was involved in a shooting, but it should have been loud. My gun sounded like popcorn pops. I had read that it would, but figured that even if I didn't hear it, my ears would ring afterward, as the damage is there, even if it doesn't reach the brain, but they didn't even ring. I have been "caught by surprise" by a couple of rounds, including a handgun round in the confines of a shoot house. It was beyond uncomfortable to painful, but then I wasn't concentrating on not getting shot.

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What Would Gumby Do?

HowardCohodas

Some thoughts to ponder:
The entire article can be found at the National Institute of Health. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

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Howard
I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop!!
EDC Primary: M&P 45fs, Crimson Trace LaserGrip, Insight XTI Procyon light a SmartCarry holster >>> http://MP-Pistol.com/
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SatCong

To me the ? is hearing or LIFE!

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NRA PATRON LIFE

mcp1810

Something else to think about is the acoustics of your house vs an indoor range. A range usually has concrete floors, cinder block walls, steel back stops etc. All of these are good at reflecting the sound of the shots back at you. Your house in many ways is more like an outdoor range. Your carpeting and furniture with absorb a lot of the sound energy and also the irregular shapes of the furniture will "break up" the sound waves to reduce echo. Now if you are in your hallway with hardwood or tile flooring, this wont help you much, it will be almost all your physiology in that case.

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"And what would you do with your brain if you had one?" - Dorothy

buckeyeLCPL

I've "forgotten" my hearing pro on a couple of shoot houses that we have done. If done right and in the right mindset you still get a huge adrenaline dump, afterall you have guys two feet away firing live rounds. The gunshots aren't as loud as you would think, even with a M-16. You can still hear talking and stuff too, kinda funny how that works.

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Fortes Fortuna Juvat

We're mules lad. Mules that kill.

David in FL

Gunny finds out, and you're gonna get your butt kicked!