Impulse noise levels generated by A.22 caliber starter pistol
Jacob Sondergaard, Deanna K. Meinke, Michael G. Stewart, Donald S. Finan, James E. Lankford, Greg A. Flamme · Canadian acoustics · 2011
A .22 or .32 caliber starter pistol is commonly used in athletic events to generate a loud impulse signaling participants that the event has started. Measuring sound levels from a firearm requires a few key components; primarily the firearms as a sound source. Moreover, since the impulses generated contain high frequency content and very high amplitude sound pressure level (SPL), one needs to consider a lower sensitivity microphone of small dimensions in order to capture this acoustic data accurately. Finally, a National Instruments data acquisition system, PXJ 6120, was used to capture the measurements. This is especially relevant for school organized events where rules and guidelines for shooter position, relative to athletes and/or spectators, may not be as clear, well-known or adhered to.