{"id":575,"date":"2019-07-01T13:43:37","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T13:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/?p=575"},"modified":"2020-06-29T16:25:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T16:25:28","slug":"fireworks-or-gunshots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/fireworks-or-gunshots\/","title":{"rendered":"Is That Gunshots or Fireworks That You’re Hearing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can You Tell The Difference Between Gunshots And Fireworks?<\/span><\/h1>\n

Every year around the 4th of July, law enforcement agencies around the country are inundated with phone calls from people concerned about random gunfire in their neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there are irresponsible gun owners out there who decide that shooting their guns into the air in celebration is a good idea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe do experience an uptick in reports of gunfire or fireworks around the Fourth of July. Every year we ask the community not to fire celebratory gunshots into the air. This is a dangerous practice that could hurt or kill someone,\u201d said Karie Partington, Media Relations Bureau Manager for the Collier County, Florida Sheriff\u2019s Office.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Responsible gun owners know that shooting guns into the air is not a good idea. In fact, it\u2019s a really, really dumb idea. When a bullet goes up into the air, it will eventually come down. When it comes down, it’s going to hit something.\u00a0 Sometimes, <\/span>that something is a person, and tragedy ensues<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span> So, if you\u2019re thinking about shooting your guns into the air on the 4th of July, don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Law enforcement officers responding to reports of gunfire that turn out to be nothing more than the use of celebratory fireworks takes time and resources away from the other important duties law enforcement provides for us. Because it is often hard to tell the difference been the sound of gunfire and that of fireworks, we headed to the shooting range with some firecrackers and a firearm to see if there is a way to tell the difference between the two just by how they sound.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is It Gunshots, Or Is It Fireworks?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Testing<\/a>The gun we chose to test with is a very common pistol: a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm. The fireworks we tested are a commonly-available string of firecrackers. We tested to see if we could tell the difference between them by sound alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Purpose of Test: <\/span><\/h3>\n

To determine the difference in sound between a string of firecrackers and a 9mm pistol.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Testing Procedure:<\/span><\/h3>\n

We recorded the sound of both the pistol and the firecrackers at close (2 yards) and long (200+ yards) distances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Testing Equipment:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

A 9mm Smith & Wesson Shield
\n<\/span>Two strings\u00a0 of Phantom Fireworks \u201cWolf Pack\u201d firecrackers <\/span>
\n115 grain American Eagle 9mm Ammunition<\/span><\/a>
\nA Nikon D7500 video camera
\n<\/span>An iPhone 7+ Camera\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Test Results:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n