shooting is easier to accomplish with the employment
of firearms with sound suppressors. Using a silencer can
increase operational success.
Noise Induced Hearing Loss is a serious
threat to our men and women in the military and
law enforcement communities. The ability to hear
is crucial to the performance and their duties. Many
people have received medical retirement because
Noise Induced Hearing Loss. Much of this hearing
loss occurs due to repeated exposure to gunfire,
both operationally and in the training environment.
According to the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH), any exposure to noise
over 140db causes immediate and irreparable hearing
loss. Unsuppressed handguns and rifles generally
create a muzzle report well above this threshold.
Gunfire noise is a “preventable” occupational risk
and an unnecessary Liability. A silencer can protect
against hearing loss.
Vision is a 180-degree sense. Hearing is 360.
The ability to hear is a crucial part of achieving good
situational awareness. Even more so than vision,
your hearing can make the difference in life or death
situations. The use of unsuppressed firearms or the
use of hearing protection to counter the effects of
unsuppressed firearms is a serious impediment to
operational effectiveness situational awareness, and
effective communications. Communicating while
Recognizing the difference in the sound
of a gunshot can make a significant
difference operationally. The
universal use of sound
suppressors within a
group or team
can make it
easy
to
recognize incoming
and outgoing fire and
make it easier to ascertain
enemy positions and locations.
Silencers greatly reduce the sound signature
of a gunshot. As a result, muzzle report is greatly
reduced, making it more difficult to determine its
origin point. Also, “ballistic crack,” or the noise that
a bullet makes while airborne at supersonic speeds,
is an “omnidirectional” sound that makes its origin
point difficult to determine. These two effects create
great confusion about the origination point of the
gunfire, inhibiting effective return fire.
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