Ear Pro Grab and Go

[TheKid]

Recently I've begun running the rifle up front on the inside of the passenger seat of my vehicle and over it I have draped my TCI Liberators as it seems to be pretty prudent for going loud.

My question is, in the numerous scenarios that occur where one has not done an active PCC/PCI for a specific mission and preemptively donned ear pro, is it good practice to train to put ear pro on before giving someone the business, if time allows?

I've seen it discussed before (not recently) about keeping it draped on the long gun for a home defense scenario or similar and I'm of the belief that, if time allows, why not? The counter point to that (and I say this from an uninformed position) is auditory exclusion and the proverbial "not hearing the shot" anyway because you're so amp'd up to begin with it won't matter.

 

[Supermoose]

Pictures of your set up?

 

[TheKid]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Supermoose]

I see, you literally just have it sitting on the front seat. How do you secure it when you get to your destination? I take it your state allows the carry of a loaded rifle?

 

[TheKid]

It may get put in the back, most times, it just gets a jacket thrown over it. It may sound like a cop out but I drive a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, minor tint and absolutely no external "hey I shoot shit" indicators on the outside. Eventually the truck gun is most likely getting upgraded to a suppressed .300blk that can fit in a normal backpack but for now, my stuff is insured and a try not to be a target.

And for reference I'm in Texas. I do NOT carry with a round in the chamber. I roll at what is commonly referred to as "patrol ready" with a mag in and dead chamber.

 

[KUTF]

...is auditory exclusion and the proverbial "not hearing the shot" anyway because you're so amp'd up to begin with it won't matter.

Now I'm no doctor, scientist or even a mechanic, but I base my statement on info gathered after attending several FSRC seminars and other reading...

Not "hearing" the shot due to an attentional shift/auditory exclusion does not mean that your hearing will not suffer permanent damage from gunshots.

 

[Bourneshooter]

In my G ride, I keep my Peltor's on the gearbag next to me that I can grab as I roll into a scene. I'll hit the weapon release and go.

In POV.... space is limited so I don't always have the Peltors in there.

 

[TheTick]

In an NTOA class that included a debrief on a SWAT job that involved a prolonged gun battle and the recovery of several downed patrol guys. One of the takeaways was having ear pro readily available. Every cop that was inside the Bear has substantial hearing damage from banging away with the turd. Based on this, I have ear pro available.

To me, it's a matter of the priority of shooting the threat. If the threat is bad enough that it warrants firing from inside your vehicle, then I don't believe time should be wasted on ear pro or even removing your seatbelt. Now if I'm enroute somewhere, I'm fond of taking the few seconds to pull over and don my chest rig and unrack the M4 whic is also an opportune time to put on ear pro.

 

[jnc36rcpd]

You can't avoid the bullet with your name on it, but you might well dodge the one labeled "to whom it may concern".
I'm terrified of losing my hearing. I believe my dad's dementia was accelerated because he couldn't communicate effectively with other people. That said, hearing loss is a risk of doing the job that America so appreciates us doing.
That said, I think there is a real argument to having ear-pro available in the cruiser. I have long carried ear-pro in the rifle bag. I recently placed Surefire Sonics in the plate carrier. After reading this short thread, I think electronic ear muffs attached to the rifle case is a valid option. I'm less likely to forget about ear-pro if I see big honking muffs versus hoping to remember plugs.

 

[Presscheck Consulting]

I have peltors for myself and one passenger. I do not however have them attached to the rifle in the manner above. The reason for this is that if you are not shit in life and death and you need to employ the rifle without hearing protection, you still have to clear the ear pro off the gun in addition to loading and presenting the weapon!

I keep my peltors around my headrest and the passenger's peltors around the oak night stick wedged between my console and my passenger seat.

 

[Bourneshooter]

I have peltors for myself and one passenger. I do not however have them attached to the rifle in the manner above. The reason for this is that if you are not shit in life and death and you need to employ the rifle without hearing protection, you still have to clear the ear pro off the gun in addition to loading and presenting the weapon!

I keep my peltors around my headrest and the passenger's peltors around the oak night stick wedged between my console and my passenger seat.

The good old "tire thumper" if anyone asks.

 

[TomF]

OP- any reason your spare mag is on the right side of the rifle? I use a mag clamp (Magpul) fairly often but I put the spare mag on the left. Allows the dust cover to open fully and access to the bolt release when the first mag is empty. Just curious if you have better reason(s) for doing it the other way.

 

[Bourneshooter]

I keep mine on the left as its easier for me to think shift mag with support (left) hand to the right when reloading.

 

[KUTF]

Now I'm no doctor, scientist or even a mechanic, but I base my statement on info gathered after attending several FSRC seminars and other reading...

Not "hearing" the shot due to an attentional shift/auditory exclusion does not mean that your hearing will not suffer permanent damage from gunshots.

To return to this, I will say from personal experience that discharging rounds from a 5.56 rifle during "exigent" circumstances, sans hearing protection, may be a bad idea for your long-term hearing health regardless of any perceived auditory exclusion.... But if it interfers with your current life-cycle, I'd rather be deaf than myself or one of my buddies being dead. I've done it with and without and recommend keeping it handy as long as it doesn't slow down your decision-making/execution process. If you're rolling a .308, I would recommend it even more.

 

[1BallJay]

Just to toss my own experiences out. I have been protecting my hearing for 14+ years and want to continue that way. I keep a set of EP7's in my rifle bag in my car. I figure if I have to shoot right damn now I am more worried about protecting my life or someone else's. But if I have time to throw on my chest rig, grab extra mags, etc then I have time to put hearing protection in. The EP7's are small and communications compatible. If I am deploying my rifle as a lowly civ then I will certainly be in contact with a 911 operator as I move. I've got a Motorola cable that interfaces with my phone.

 

[MrMurphy]

Currently rifle-less on patrol (just qual'd and the paperwork is going through) but a pair of Peltors will be riding in my up front go bag just for this reason.

 

[Dan Easterday]

To revisit, I recently scored some MSA Supreme pro's for a good price. I now have ear pro hanging by the bed on both my and my wife's side, and a set of TCI's stashed with the downstairs house gun, which is also the carry gun. The TCI's roll with me when I carry in my support bag.

 

[Caomhin]

You can't avoid the bullet with your name on it, but you might well dodge the one labeled "to whom it may concern".

Just to let you know, I've been using this since the day I've read it.

It would make one helluva T-shirt.



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"One cannot awaken a man who pretends to be asleep."

 

[Longeye]

It is simply priorities of life. If rounds are impacting the vehicle, then there is not time to don ear pro.
Short of that threshold, I take the time to defend my ears with TCI DEHP active muffs or Liberators for planned actions. Gaining and maintaining SA is a life extender. Getting ringing ears at the start of a fight may adversely shorten life, if you miss important auditory cues. Hearing damage is permanent, kind of like amputation. There are tools that can mediate, but full function will never return. Don't do stupid things to your ears early in life.

That said, there are different levels. Open air 5.56 is far less damaging than inside a structure or vehicle. 16" vs VSBR is also different. Comped vs non comped handgun or carbine, etc. Baseline is that emergency exterior noncomped handgun fire is the only time I would not have second thoughts about undefended ears.

My 12.5" carbine rides in a 5dot11 Covert M4 bag. The DEHP's ride in the top outer pocket. A spare Pmag, TQ, and IFAK ride on a HPG TaraInsert in the lower outer pocket. It is pretty easy to work out of.
The Liberties ride in my helmet inside another bag along with my JPC and MRB.

 

[Dan Easterday]

Since the estimable Longeye decided to revive this, I'll kick back in. I sold the MSA's and took advantage of the TCI sale at Christmas and got another pair of DEHP's, do now one hangs off the bedside lamp, and the other is on a command hook inside the cubby where my pistol safe is stashed for the downstairs gun. If I go out and the long gun comes with for any reason, it's in the front pocket of the sneakybag with two spare mages and an LAPG DOK and TQ. If I take the COVRT backpack out with extra support equipment (mags, sustainment) for whatever reason, I throw one of the sets in there. I'm thinking about getting another pair of ears to live full time in the center console of the new (to me) van so I don't have to move sets in and out of the house. My wife has a set of mid range Peltors in the drawer of her night stand. I seem to have misplaced my loaner set of Howard Leights somewhere. Oh well...

I take my hearing very seriously now. I realize that most situations will not give me the time to put on ears, but better to have...