Noisy Nights In Illinois: How To Tell Fireworks From Gunshots

We're not even into July yet, but nights around our area have already gotten progressively louder as we inch closer to Independence Day on Tuesday, July 4th.

For some people, these varying explosions taking place each night are simply a countdown to the big party we throw ourselves every year on the 4th of July, but for others, there's always a question of whether what they're hearing came from a fireworks stand in Wisconsin or Missouri...or the barrel of a gun.

So, how do you tell which is which?

Or...

You've Probably Had This Discussion At Home Before, Because We Certainly Have At My House

Over the last couple of years, my wife has looked at me while we're sitting on our patio and asked this question: "Were those gunshots or firecrackers and fireworks?"

My daughter Molly, who watches waaaaaaaaaay too many "true crime" cable shows, looks at it differently, as she's almost always certain that it's gunshots.

My son, tending to be a bit calmer about things, doesn't really notice the noises to begin with. I figure that when you've cranked up the volume on "Gears Of War" as long and often as he does, anything short of a fuel-air explosive is hardly noteworthy.

As for me, I'm a gun guy. I've fired thousands of rounds at various ranges over the years, and to be completely honest, there are lots of times that I'm not sure if those sounds are gunshots or fireworks.

Well, If You Don't Know, And I Don't Know, Maybe It's Time To Bring In The Big Guns...Experts to Answer The Question

The question, as we approach Independence Day on the 4th of July, can you tell the difference, and if so, how?

Kevin Creighton, a firearms expert who writes a column for AmmoMan.com says:

So the biggest way to tell the difference is going to be how you’re hearing the sound--there’s going to be a natural, mechanical restriction on how fast you can fire the gun. It’s going to tend to make it sound rhythmic. With a fire cracker, that doesn’t come into play because they go off on their schedule because they are triggered by the fuse that’s lit.

Kevin's advice is to listen to the rhythm of the sounds. If it's rhythmic, it's probably gunshots, if it's staccato, it's likely firecrackers or fireworks.

I had a neighbor once who was a former soldier. He told me the way he can tell the difference is the smoke. Modern ammunition is basically "smokeless," but firecrackers and fireworks contain black powder, which creates smoke when they go off.

I think this video does a pretty good job of illustrating the differences between gunshots and fireworks: