Who can tell gun shots, fireworks and backfires apart?

[MaDuce]

Bear with me on this.

I am known to be hard of hearing. Enough that I have to point my ear at people when I am listening (which gives the impression that I am not paying attention, another matter) but I have always known that the real problem is that I am processing EVERYTHING I hear and; if what I am listening to doesn't stand out, then all I hear is a blur because it's basically being blended with everything else.

Up until 2 days ago I figured that this was some rare human feature yet to be noticed by the psychological community but then I saw a documentary about people with ADD (which I have) and learned that it's actually a well known trait in people with ADD/Dyslexia.

Anyway, the up side to this is that; when listening to distinguished sounds, I can usually pick out very tiny differences.

Tonight was a reminder of one sound distinguishing ability that I have often wondered about in others.

About an hour ago, someone fired off a gun. At the end of it was a bog boom. I wasn't sure what that boom came from because it was a little unexpected but it didn't sound like a gun.

I went out searching for a gun shot victim and came across police who said eye witnesses said it was a firework. I would guess that the boom at the end was, but the previous booms were DEFINITELY a gun. As I explained tonight, the boom of a gunshot has a distinct sound at the end as result of the bullet breaking the sound barrier.

Anyway, I ran in to this situation twice before when I swore up and down it was a gun shot, was told it was a firework and lone behold, it was later discovered to be a gunshot. In one case I actually ended up on a suspect list because I accurately distinguished what caliber (as if .22LR is that hard to distinguish.

Anyway, every time I ran in to this debate with others, it was always with people with limited, if any experience with guns. For this reason, I have always wondered if I am alone here or if this is a common trait among gun enthusiasts.

So, I must ask you guys. If you are sitting on your porch and you hear a boom a couple hundred yards to a half a mile away, can you tell if it's a gun shot or not?

[planeflyer21]

Yup.

Wifey asks "How do you know?"  Because I've heard lots of each-gunfire, backfire (haven't heard in years), fireworks ('cause it's usually me lighting them off).

20 years ago, when I was poor and lived with a girlfriend that wanted to move at the end of every lease, we lived in a lot of "high gang concentration areas".  Lots of shootings that were hundreds of yards away.

I can't call caliber usually though.

You should work for CSI.  <laughs>

Can tell though definate shotgun vs. semi-pistol vs. revolver somehow.

Jon

[edgecrusher]

I can tell too, fireworks are illegal here and usually only come about in July and sometimes September, so those are a totally different report, and back fires don't seem to have " that something" to put me on alert.

[washguy]

Hey Ma  I cant hear crap.....but I can tell the difference between all of the above. In my " hood" on the 4th and New Years Eve  I can tell what is a fire work,handgun,and shotgun going off :) Wash

[Dusty44]

I am known to be hard of hearing. Enough that I have to point my ear at people when I am listening (which gives the impression that I am not paying attention, another matter) but I have always known that the real problem is that I am processing EVERYTHING I hear and; if what I am listening to doesn't stand out, then all I hear is a blur because it's basically being blended with everything else.

This is common with older people,  too.  It is a statement of my own hearing.  A couple of years back,  I began searching for an affordable solution.  It seems that a "Hearing Aid" is a medical device.  It requires a licensed medical person to make a prescription.  The Hearing Aid is also high priced.  After obtaining a Hearing Aid the patient will usually find that it is necessary to have the device adjusted and fine-tuned to work adequately.  $5000 for the hearing aid,  $5000 for the medical services,  $5000 to $15000 for the follow-on services.  Then it has been 2 - 5 years and the whole thing starts over.  Hearing Aids do not really work well.  Sometimes they help and sometimes they serve no purpose in a given situation.  Just like the hero in a Hollywood production can keep all 90 rounds from a junk handgun precisely on target offhand 500 yards out,  but real,  decent quality guns used by real people are lucky to stay on paper at 10 yards,  the uninformed person expects miracles from "Hearing Aids."

I bought a Listening Accessory from a company called "Songbird."  Still pricey,  do not remember the cost but maybe around $700 for two.  If it is a hearing aid described with another name,  it is not a 'medical device.'  I find that the things I bought can help in some situations.  I use them (both ears) when I think they will help and leave them home  most of the time.  These devices are just as good as high-grade professional Hearing Aids that I was able to try for a length of time.  I do not know if "Songbird" is still in business,  but the approach should still be helpful.

When I go shooting,  I use the reusable ear plugs that are supposed to permit conversation and block the pressure shocks of gunfire.  I put these in my ears before I get out of the car at the open-air range.  Before I leave the office to go to the firing line,  I put ear-muff protectors over ears and ear plugs.  Double protection really does make a big difference.

If you are a Veteran,  and are not already involved,  hook up with VA and see what can be managed through them.  Your first stop/visit should be with the VA Service Officer. He is your 'Lawyer' or adviser at VA.  (Be there to sign-in at or before 0800,  Tuesday-Thursday.  Everybody likes to go on Monday and Friday & show up around 10 AM.  Take something to read while waiting.  Be prepared to spend all day.)  Be sure and take a copy of your DD 214.  If you are a Veteran,  you should be involved with VA.  Not finding out what VA can do for you is a major mistake.

[CMAN]

Yes I can. I've worked as a mechanic for years, shoot almost every weekend and have played with fireworks. The sounds are similar but very distinctive. The closest sound to a gun was a Mazda rx2. You could turn that thing off and get of the car then BANG backfire!

[washguy]

Here's the way i can tell em apart

after 12am and coming from the apartments = gunfire

sitting in lil red with my laptop connected to the obdi port and uploading my special tune=backfire

backyard on fire,eybrows on me burnt off=fireworks

<laughs>  Wash

[imschur]

Here in New Haven gun shots are so frequent I can call caliber, bullet and velocity while listening to my ipod. I can even describe the shooter.

[unforgiven]

<lmao> <laughs> :cookoo:

[98Z5V]

Who can tell the difference between rockets, mortars, and small arms fire?  That's the poop that really fucks you up.  Fireworks can kiss my ass... 

"Proficiency" happens when some shithead shoots a mortar or rocket at you, and you can tell by the sound that you're not gonna get hit by that one - so you don't worry about it...  :o

[planeflyer21]

Like working the catapults in the Navy, you filter out everything...until that one shot sounds just a little tweaked. lol $40million dollar splash.

Jon

[seasprite]

Well I don't know if I can tell the difference or not but the Kansas city police just put in a new listening device thats supposed to tell the difference for 3 square mi. Of course they put it in the middle of gangland.

[Dusty44]

In 'Nam (Bien Hoa AB),  most of us could tell the diff between outgoing artillery and incoming rockets.  Mortars were distinctively different,  but only heard them once.

The story's about the mortars and about ArcLight are only for a quiet evening when everybody is ready to tell real war stories over a lingering beer.  Face to face.

[shepp]

first time i heard live gun fire in an urban environment was in the hood of milwaukee i was 19 and green. i was on the roof of a getto ass grocery store, i thought it was a car back fire till it went 7 and out, stayed on the roof for about an hour when i only needed to be there about 10 min i wasnt takeing any chances. i know i could tell the difference between rifle fire and fireworks.

[unforgiven]

First time I heard gunfire in the city they were shooting at ME! :o >:(

[washguy]

First time I heard gunfire in the city they were shooting at ME! :o >:(

Remind me ,or I think its already posted here bout my home invasion....I do know what a 12 gauge pump sounds like when it fired into your sliding glass door of your patio's sliding glass door...and one person comes blowing thru the hole jacking another shell into his pump while you and your gal are butt nekkid you  only have a 78rpm record in your hand to defend with <lmao>...and then another storms in with

handgun......ill give ya a hint ...the big white cockatoo's cage took a lot of hits...okay guys what cop show had one? although he never talked again after takin that assault <dontknow>  this is just them making entry  damn these things happen so fast....i still had a nice erection <lmao>Wash

[shepp]

few nights ago a friend of a friend was woken up by what he thought was his cat as he went up stairs he saw a light go past his sliding door so he grabed his had gun went upstair to get his phone and hears the the door handle jiggling. calls 911 they tell him to remain calm and not to use his weapon, then hears the door jiggle again tells 911 im going to shoot them if they come thru the door, 911 tells him DO NOT DO THAT SIR stay on theline and talk to me officers are on the way. after telling him to stay on the line a few more times he hands the phone off to his wife telling 911 here my wife likes to talk talk to her. hears the person outside again fucking with the door grabs his 6 cell mag light slings the door open and thumps the guy in the head knocking him down about this time county shows up he stands up gun over head finger off trigger and starts rattleing off info about him self " officer i have a weapon, im so and so i live at this address blah blah blah street my DOB is this". altho they werent to thrilled that he took matters into his own hands like he did the said stepping back and doing what he did after the officer arived was the best. he didnt put down his weapon giving the perp a chance to grab it, and rattled off as much stuff about him self the perp shouldnt know.

so the kid/guy was a 20 somthing said he was dropped off becuase there was suppose to be a party there, still they found 3-4 of the campers that he lets people store on his property broken into. this seems to be the new trend in break ins around here 1-2 guys get dropped off 20-30 min later their ride comes back for them, 90% are druggies and they are looking for flips, perscrips and cash.

[planeflyer21]

Where the heck are you shepp that dispatchers tell you not to do anything to protect yourself?

Jon

[shepp]

Wasn't me, friend of a friend. The lovely state of Wisconsin, 30 min south of madison

Where the heck are you shepp that dispatchers tell you not to do anything to protect yourself?

Jon

[98Z5V]

......ill give ya a hint ...the big white cockatoo's cage took a lot of hits...okay guys what cop show had one?

Robert Blake. Baretta.  <thumbsup>

[washguy]

Robert Blake. Baretta.  <thumbsup>

98Z    Yep!  You remember the theme song?  <thumbsup>

how I got that bird was funny...american airlines freight called said my race parts were in from Cali....soooI get out to dfw freight bout 10pm...they didnt have it located so they let me and a AA guy go out to the doc and rumage thru the Cali incoming freight...all the time we were looking thru big piles of boxes I kept hearing this sqawking...went over to this big wooden big azz crate with all these separate boxes and in there were hundreds of these cockatoos....so wrote down what was on the manifold and then found my cylinder heads. next day i asked my bro if he was in on getting a baretta bird.he said yep...so i called this importer told them i was a pet dealer and send two birds <laughs> they did....those sob's were freakin mean....they could bite thru welders gloves <laughs>....so after as long time they got tame ...well my bro brings his over and it flew to the second story ceiling of my condo where the dinner table lamp chain was hangin from the second story...couldnt get it down.... the electric line for the light  was wrapped inside the chain hangin from the ceiling...the freakin bird bit into the chain and 110 volt line which instantly blew the birds beak off its face <lmao>

didnt kill it but the beak grew back all knarley <lmao>....his wife told him one day bout 6 months later the bird escaped somehow and flew away <lmao> Wash