Here is an interesting article that I saw at the AccurateShooter website. As some of us get older, we become more aware of hearing loss and say to ourselves "If I had only known..."
I knew that the blast from a braked 50 BMG could do damage, but had not realized that you could lose hearing from the concussive blast of a typical firearm even if you have sufficient hearing protection. Apparently the concussive force is transmitted though the facial bones to the tiny bones in the ear. I would think that this is becoming more of an issue as there is increasing use of very short barrels and muzzle brakes. The author recommends a sound suppressor, but anything done to reduce the concussive blast, including having a longer barrel or just shooting without a muzzle brake helps.
I knew that the blast from a braked 50 BMG could do damage, but had not realized that you could lose hearing from the concussive blast of a typical firearm even if you have sufficient hearing protection. Apparently the concussive force is transmitted though the facial bones to the tiny bones in the ear. I would think that this is becoming more of an issue as there is increasing use of very short barrels and muzzle brakes. The author recommends a sound suppressor, but anything done to reduce the concussive blast, including having a longer barrel or just shooting without a muzzle brake helps.
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