Quoted:
With all of the information provided thinking about some things 1.Blow Back Gas 2.Toughness of the can 3.DB Levels 4.Mounting system

Which would you choose Saker 556 or Socom 556 RC?

Quoted:
Just for some clarity:A change of (-3dB) is approxiamtely equal to double or half the power.

So... a few dB is alot!

Quoted:
You guys are awesome!  All of the answers above are what I figured from doing my research previously.  I am leaning toward either the Saker or the Socom.  Price isn't really a problem as its an NFA item for life in my mind.  Some things I am thinking about right now are I really like the mounting system on the socom and how there is very little POI shift.  I don't like the look of the Socom flash hiders or the brakes which I know may be stupid but I do like the Silencer Co brakes and flash hiders.  They are both built like tanks equally correct?  Has anyone found one to be better over another?

Quoted:
What adjustable gas block are you using and with what rail?  I am leaning toward getting the Socom right now.

By "hearing safe," what is meant is the requirement in both MIL-STD 1474D and OSHA regulations that state that peak sound levels over 140 dB mandate hearing protection. We measure at the industry standard of 1 meter to the side of the muzzle. Our experience has been that at the general (and somewhat ill-defined) location of the "shooter's ear," the sound level is generally 3-4 dB lower than it is at the reference location of 1 meter left of the muzzle.

All of our suppressors reduce the sound to the point where the sound pressure level at the reference location is lower than 140 dB with all warranted barrel lengths. With most of our .223 suppressors, this is in the vicinity of 135-137 dB, depending on the barrel length.

Please remember that the bullet flight noise ballistic crack) for the .223 is around 148 dB, but this is a shock wave being generated down range and what we hear is reflected back toward the shooter. When you consider the attenuation due to the inverse square law, the ballistic crack is almost never an issue for hearing damage to the shooter.

Hope this helps.








Philip H. Dater, MD
39 years in the industry, 21 with GEMTECH

If a sound reaches 85 dB or stronger, it can cause permanent damage to your hearing. The amount of time you listen to a sound affects how much damage it will cause. The quieter the sound, the longer you can listen to it safely. If the sound is very quiet, it will not cause damage even if you listen to it for a very long time; however, exposure to some common sounds can cause permanent damage. With extended exposure, noises that reach a decibel level of 85 can cause permanent damage to the hair cells in the inner ear, leading to hearing loss.

Quoted:
If you don't want to retain excellent hearing like me - by all means, keep exposing yourself.  140 is the LIMIT, probably the point at which 50% of the people experience damage, and the other 50% don't.  YMMV

Quoted:

Spend a few bucks and get an audiogram. In fact, I can share one with you for free if you have a set of earbuds and a quiet room and a few minutes to do it. Let me know what you notice in the 6kHz range, if you don't mind...

I have taken professional audiograms as well as this online deal. This online "audiogram" was a perfect mirror of the professional tests I have taken, except for the fact that it does not measure a reliable "base-line" or scale. However, the dips and rough amount of dips WILL mirror what a professional audiogram will reveal, if you actually use it properly. You will know exactly where you have hearing loss and where you don't have so much, just, the "thresholds" will be off, as it is speaker/system/earbud dependent.

http://newt.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

Quoted:
Good stuff! Protect what you have.

Quoted:
I better go warn every Harley rider with open pipes of the impending doom lol

Quoted:
The sad thing is, most people don't realize how much damage they have done to their hearing, until it's way too late.  They think their hearing is fine.  They no longer hear frequencies at levels that are continuing to cause more damage.  It's a downward spiral.  Sonic cracks not hurting is one thing, not hearing them is a sure sign you have lost hearing in that band for sure.  My father's hearing is fine, except for the discreet bands his equipment always ran at.  If there is a tone in those bands, he simply doesn't hear it, but hears everything else just fine.

You may think your hearing is fine or good enough.  You may be comfortable around sounds that a person with good hearing would suffer.  You may not give a crap.  But none of it is GOOD, it's either not or BAD.  Any jackass is free to ignore what happen to others and not give a hoot what happens to them, and that's their right.  In my experience everyone I know like that has come to sorely rue their actions down the line.  So if it does - you were warned and have no one to blame but yourself.

And concerning my comment about the 140 limit and 50-50:  All I am saying is that it is never a good idea to run at the limit of anything because there is no forgiveness, just possible punishment.  I have no clue as to how they set the 140 limit.  Everyone's body is different.  Not everyone is going to suffer the same damage from the same source level, not everyone is going to react the same, not everyone has the same exact ear, and most people who are comfortable around the high noise have already ruined their hearing long enough ago not to see what the big deal is, since they can no longer compare it with a such a blown base line.

As a kid I thought my eyesight was just fine, until I was shown how blind I was.  I suspect it is the same for hearing.


When I go to my local range, I always have extra sets of ear plugs.  I give them out for free when I see people shooting without.  I know I have saved a lot of permanent hearing damage.  A friend of mine used to ignore the hearing protection often when shooting. Loud sounds don't bother him.  Now he shoots with muffs and plugs in since he is deaf in one ear (right side from the port noise) and very hard of hearing in the other, all from shooting unprotected. He doesn't want to lose what little he has left. He knows just cause he can't hear it, that doesn't mean it's not doing damage, he just wouldn't be able to feel it.  It's a mistake you can't undue and it's totally preventable.

I don't even dare shoot without eye protection either.  My friends are instructed to yell at me if they catch me doing it.  Ever since I had a poorly timed cylinder next to me spit lead that came millimeters from my eye, I've always worn them.  I don't consider either eye a spare.
 

Quoted:
I run a specwar 5.56 and don't use ear pro with it. I wouldn't suggest doing a mag dump, but slow shooting with it is fine.

Quoted:


I run a specwar 5.56 and don't use ear pro with it. I wouldn't suggest doing a mag dump, but slow shooting with it is fine.

Quoted:
So just to summarize, rock concerts, loud motorcycle exhausts, headphones turned up too loud, car stereo cranked up, all have dire consequences, you have been warned