Is a .40 cal louder than other pistols?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is a .40 cal louder than other pistols?

Posted: 12/30/2005 7:50:08 AM EDT

Some guys at the range were discussing home defense and a couple of them were saying they would never use a .40S&W for home defense because it was significantly louder than other handgun cartridges and would hurt their ears. They were saying .40 cal was much louder at the range as well.

Is this right?

Is a .40S&W louder than a 9mm or .45 ACP?

Posted: 12/30/2005 8:26:18 AM EDT

[#1]

Depends on the gun!

My 32ACP has a sharp krack
My 9 mm has a higher boom
My 40 has a lower boom

If you defending your life extra noise is minor compared to the larger hole! My HD gun is my 40.

Posted: 12/30/2005 8:30:49 AM EDT

[#2]

I've found .40SW to possess a slightly sharper sound which can seem louder but it really doesn't make enough difference to factor into your choice for home defense in my opinion. No matter what you use it will be loud but from all accounts the adrenaline will probably prevent you from even noticing the sound as anything more than a pop.

Use what your most comfortable with. For me, if its a handgun, that means .45

Posted: 12/30/2005 8:33:55 AM EDT

[#3]

Try a .357 SIG. That round is quite possibly the loudest semi-auto round out there. I'd hate to have to set one of those off inside with no hearing protection. .40 does seem to have a pretty loud pop. I load mine with VVN350 powder and it's really not that noticeable, but most factory loaded stuff is loud. MJD

Posted: 12/30/2005 8:42:54 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Some guys at the range were discussing home defense and a couple of them were saying they would never use a .40S&W for home defense because it was significantly louder than other handgun cartridges and would hurt their ears.

They should be MODS here with that kind of brilliance!

Posted: 12/30/2005 8:57:27 AM EDT

[#5]

Damn MarkM, think a little bit before you post.

After you kill a guy in the living room next to the wifes sofa, are you going to want to be standing there with sore ears?

Of course not. Thats why I hand load special flannel wrapped .45 projectiles. Its nonregulated and it totally muffles the report. Just kind of a soft WHOOOSSHHHH.

Posted: 12/30/2005 1:09:53 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Damn MarkM, think a little bit before you post.

After you kill a guy in the living room next to the wifes sofa, are you going to want to be standing there with sore ears?

Of course not. Thats why I hand load special flannel wrapped .45 projectiles. Its nonregulated and it totally muffles the report. Just kind of a soft WHOOOSSHHHH.

Yes my 1911 has a pillow duct taped to the muzzle so I don't hurt my ears in these situations lol

Posted: 12/30/2005 1:18:45 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Damn MarkM, think a little bit before you post.

After you kill a guy in the living room next to the wifes sofa, are you going to want to be standing there with sore ears?

Of course not. Thats why I hand load special flannel wrapped .45 projectiles. Its nonregulated and it totally muffles the report. Just kind of a soft WHOOOSSHHHH.

LOL

Posted: 12/30/2005 8:22:07 PM EDT

[#8]

loud takes on a whole new meaning when you get into big bore revolvers

Posted: 12/30/2005 10:15:16 PM EDT

[#9]

I think that it would be completely ignorant of someone to second guess the round thats going to be used at the point of a life or death situation. In fact my entire focus would be on making sure the intruder is not going to get up again, and I would have no hesitation in using my 500 S&W in such an incident.

Although I might think about it quite a bit in the 3 or 4 days following while I suffer from a massive headache, mild concusion and bleeding ear syndrome

Posted: 12/30/2005 10:33:27 PM EDT

[#10]

I shot a .50 Desert Eagle at an indoor range and I thought it was a little louder that the .40 Sig that I was shooting 5 min prior.

Posted: 12/30/2005 10:37:41 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Some guys at the range were discussing home defense and a couple of them were saying they would never use a .40S&W for home defense because it was significantly louder than other handgun cartridges and would hurt their ears.

They should be MODS here with that kind of brilliance!

Probably Navy SEALs.

Posted: 12/30/2005 11:19:14 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
I shot a .50 Desert Eagle at an indoor range and I thought it was a little louder that the .40 Sig that I was shooting 5 min prior.

.40sig?-

.40sw is kinda loud, but not the loudest pistol cartrige; i would use it

Posted: 12/31/2005 12:08:27 AM EDT

[#13]

IMHO I think that a 40 is not any louder than a 9mm +P, however a 357sig is louder than that, I think that is about even with a hot 10mm load.
You do get into a whole other level of loud when you talk about big bore revolvers.
I would not hesitate to use any round that was at hand should the need to defend myself or a loved one present it self.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is a .40 cal louder than other pistols?

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