.25acp vs. .22lr pistols - sound level

[simonrichter]

is there any perceptible difference as far as the boom is concerned between a .22lr and a .25 short-barreled semiauto? I used to own both but being quite cautious with my hearing, I couldn't tell through earplugs and mufflers...

 

[veamon]

From my experience .25 is louder.

 

[Kev]

A 25acp registers 155db
A 22LR registers 140db (in a bolt action rifle)

I read anything above 120db can cause hearing loss.

 

[simonrichter]

A 22LR registers 140db (in a bolt action rifle)

but I reckon it's quite a deal louder from a handgun...?

 

[Kev]

I would assume so as well ^^^^

But didn't find any data
I never found 22lr bothersome personally, but hey I'm deaf in my right ear now!

 

[Hal]

There's even a difference between .22 rounds so IMHO - it's impossible to say.

The .22 hyper velocity, like stingers, can be pretty obnoxious.

 

[Cold Steel]

Good question. Both sound the same on television. A woman shoots a man who is lifted bodily off the floor and propelled backwards through a large window and falls two stories onto the pavement below. Oh, wait, that's a .32 auto.

Seriously, both will leave your ears ringing.

Years ago I talked to a guy who says he shot a griz six times in self defense. He said he never had a ringing of the ears, nor did he recall shooting more than two rounds; but when he later checked his gun, which some friends judiciously relieved him of just after the incident, all six rounds had been fired. But at the time it happened, he said, he did remember being terrified. I don't know whether he just didn't remember not hearing the ringing or whether his "fight or flight" somehow protected him from the sound. That sort of thing is common, though.

Old time leadership at the NRA were nearly all deaf...they were all lip readers. Harlon Carter couldn't hear a thing. I've also known people who put cartridge cases in their ears. Even small calibers can rapidly ruin your hearing and, once lost, you can't get it back.

 

[Armed_Chicagoan]

.22 out of my Ruger MkII is loud, out of my Remington 581 it is much quieter.

I think barrel length makes a big difference, at least behind the gun.

 

[simonrichter]

of course a .22 rifle makes less noise than a .22 pistol. What I had in mind was a pistol / pistol comparison between .22 and .25.

 

[mavracer]

Like Hal said there's a lot of vairiance between 22 shells and there'll be some vairiance in the 25 too. European 25 acp is in most cases loaded hotter than domestic.
My 22lr Bobcat is shooting velociters is quite louder than my Vest Pocket Colt 25 shooting WWB but shoot Sellier and Belliot 25s vs CCI std velocity and the 25 is a little louder.
None of them are very quiet though

 

[aarondhgraham]

My experience has been,,,

.25 ACP out of my Taurus 25-PLY,,,
Is a little bit louder than .22 LR out of my 22-PLY.

Maybe it's not louder,,,
But the report is "sharper",,,
That's with Federal bulk pack ammo.

But if I run CCI Stingers through the .22-PLY,,,
They seem a bit louder.

This is all subjective,,,
I have no audio DB meter.

Aarond

.

 

[simonrichter]

But if I run CCI Stingers through the .22-PLY

have you actually tried that and not damaged the gun? The manual says that hyper velocity rounds are not recommended, so I never actually fed it with Stingers...

 

[PSP]

I've shot my Walther TPH .22 and .25 side by side. It's been a while but I recall the .25 being louder versus the Mini mags in the .22. The recoil is certainly much more in the .25.

 

[Sgt Pepper]

Perceptible difference - maybe depending on how apples-to-apples the firearms and ammo shooting each round are.

Significant difference - no. It is slight enough that it depends on who's hearing it, when, and where to really tell.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello simonrichter,,,

have you actually tried that and not damaged the gun? The manual says that hyper velocity rounds are not recommended, so I never actually fed it with Stingers...

I had a few cartridges laying around,,,
So I decided to see if they would chamber,,,
They did and fired fine but I won't do that again,,,
I just wanted to try it one or two times to test the rounds.

Normally I use federal Bulk or CCI Mini Mags.

Aarond

.

 

[243winxb]

Standard Velocity Ammunition

22LR- For less noise, keep bullet velocity below the speed of sound. (About 1,087 feet per second) No sonic boom.