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Oh…my…Gawd! Someone’s clearly going to have to get Moms Demand Action back into gear on the Staples front. Reader Phil D. notes that the office supply chain is brazenly selling these parabellum-styled ear buds — to anyone who wants them! But be careful. Popping these in while sitting in your office cubicle could earn you a trip to the human resources office. And don’t even think about strolling across your high school campus blasting Swedish House Mafia through a pair of these things unless you want to get suspended. Clearly, Shannon and her hoplophobic harridans have been slacking off. Maybe it’s because she’s been too busy . . .

attending meaningless PR gestures like the President’s CNN “no one wants to take your guns!” snoozefest.

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This is the kind of thing that can happen when you’re more interested in self aggrandizement and having your ego stroked than limiting Americans’ Constitutionally protected civil rights. Wait…maybe that’s a good thing. Thanks, Obama!

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33 COMMENTS

    • They’re generally attached to some device with a volume control.

      They’re great for listening to music, or Hickok45 videos, without subjecting those around you to it. At the appropriate volume level, I can hear my wife nagging me at the same time.

    • “… Ear buds not so good for hearing long term.”

      Neither was being an avionic tech on the SR-71 back in the ’80s. Ask me how I know…

      Biggest problem I have with them is you can’t hear what’s going on around you. Good for sitting at your desk. Not so much walking in town.

    • “Although pretty cool, think I’ll pass on them! Ear buds not so good for hearing long term.”

      Ear ‘buds’ are like the standard Apple white ones, they sit just *outside* the ear canal. They will add volume to whatever is already there. Cut the grass while jamming with Apple ear buds can fry your hearing.

      Those in the picture above sit *inside* the ear canal, sealing it off from the outside like ear plugs. (Kinda. Depends on the plugs. There are ones that seal well)

      It’s a HUGE difference. Used properly (meaning non-ear damaging sound levels), the in-ear type can *protect* your hearing.

      When cutting the grass I wear in-ear headphones and listen to an audio device at a modest sound level. And my ears don’t ring after running the lawnmower.

      That’s an official Martha Stewart ‘Good Thing’…

    • Depends upon the volume at which one chooses to listen. My in ear monitors have a dB rating of -37, meaning they reduce external sound by 37 decibels. They actually act as hearing protection whilst shooting, or operating loud equipment, as long as the volume isn’t turned up.

      Only drawback is the lack of auditory awareness when wearing them. I won’t use them in public, for that I switch to the apple ear buds, which allow ambient noise to be heard.

  3. While these will most often be worn by hipsters and kids just because they think it looks cool, didn’t old-timers sometimes put live rounds or fired cases in their ears as hearing protection like that back before earplugs were common? (I would think wax would work better, but a pistol round ought to have been readily available and expedient.) Real historical precedent combined with what is not actually a bad facsimile of a hollow-point round lead me to approve of this product as a gun guy.

    • I’ve known of guys over seas now that still do that, most of them used cigarette butts in one ear, and the other open to hear who’s yelling at them.

      • As there were always a few privates who remembered that they forgot their ear-pro right before walking on the firing line, cigarette butts were a good field-expedient substitute. And if they were smart/lucky, they could sacrifice two smokes fresh from their own pack, and not have to police up a couple soggy ones off the ground in the smoking area.
        But if on a civilian range with lots of brass laying around, I suggest sticking the butts inside a couple spent 9mm cases. It’s a lot more effective & comfortable than just cramming cold brass in the earholes.

    • I have shown up at the range before without hearing protection. A couple of 380 auto cartridges worked really well.

  4. I had a pair of brass-colored ones from walmart a few years ago. Looked nice but they broke pretty fast.

    Worth it for the liberal angst.

  5. I’ll pass. I can’t ever get earbuds that fit my ear right or stay in, and custom-molded stuff is just too expensive (for now).

    • Try Shure….even their lower priced stuff comes with a good variety of tips. The foam type(similar to hearing protection plugs) come in different sizes, are very comfortable, and they sound great.

      They won’t come out during physical activities either.

      • Companies make expanding foam ear inserts for some of those ‘phones, and they stay put quite well.

  8. Just don’t wear them in Washington, D.C. You’ll get busted (a felony) for having unregistered ammunition.

      • “This account has been terminated due to repeated violations of Google’s policies.”

        That’s the posting by the powers that be on Hickok’s YouTube channel. He’s appealed, per his Twitter account. We’ll see. Hella lot of sites would love to host his content.

  12. I don’t fret too much on earbuds. You can only squeeze so much quality out of a compressed audio file. $30 ones by a name brand (Sony, etc…) do fine.

    Critical listening like for edits or whatever – Sony 7509s all the way.

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