From: gmk@falstaff.MAE.CWRU.EDU (Geoff Kotzar)
Subject: Re: Gun blast noise in a car?
Organization: /etc/organization

In article <1992Dec14.183537.4636@athena.cs.uga.edu> boone@athena.cs.uga.edu (Roggie Boone) writes:
#This is probably a dumb question but here goes anyway.
#
#
#My question is, if one has to shoot inside a car (either at someone
#in your car, or through a windshield to get someone trying to get
#into your car), how do you protect your ears (and those of passengers)
#from the blast noise?
#Are certain loads "better" for noise suppression (and/or ricochet)
#or are certain guns preferable?
#Certainly, one would not want to fire a .357 magnum inside of a
#closed auto, but it would be nice to disable the guy in one shot
#so that you don't have to fire again.
#
#Or should one forget about the ears and just be happy to be alive
#(or pray the noise doesn't knock you out and cause you to run off
#the road and hit a tree)?



I cannot give an answer to your question directly. It has been many, many
years since I fired a gun inside a car. At one of the ranges I used to
shoot at I was able to use my Impala as a self-propelled brass catcher
for a .45. I would sit in the driver's seat and fire through the passenger
window. As others have reported, the concussion was absolutely STUNNING.

My advice is if you think you will ever have to shoot within the confines
of an auto, even with some of the windows open, you really need to try
this out for yourself at least once. Use the best muffs you can buy and a
set of plugs as well. Nothing I have ever experienced with a firearm, even
a 12 gauge in an enclosed chicken coop without muffs, was like shooting in
a car. It is like your own personal self-inflicted concussion grenade. And
as you would expect, recovery is somewhat slow. I seriously doubt if any
fight stopping cartridge could mitigate these effects, but you need to be
prepared to take the hit from the muzzle blast. Kind of like the soldiers'
familiarization to tear gas.

geoff kotzar