IV – Know – Page 17

Spiritual Fitness: How Is Global Christianity Changing?

The 5 life-changing success-generating components of SemperVerus^® work together to cultivate in the members of the SemperVerus Brotherhood™ the strategic and tactical element of self-defense, which includes the intelligent and resolute ability to responsibly protect yourself from menacing spiritual threats, not only physical threats. The former dangers are what we battle when we identify and thwart temptations that diminish the strength of our soul in following Jesus Christ.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the subject of spiritual fitness ]

Every year the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary presents a snapshot of global Christianity that provides a statistical overview of the world’s 2.5 billion Christians and their activities. Here are highlights from the 2022 Status of Global Christianity report:

By semperverus
Posted on 12/27/202212/28/2022

How Safe Is Stored Ammunition When Exposed to Fire?

Illustration by Hunter-Ed, https://www.hunter-ed.com/pennsylvania/studyGuide/Basic-Components-of-Ammunition/20103901_88399/ Ever wonder if the sporting ammunition of cartridges (up to .50 caliber) and shot shells (up to 8 gauge) you store poses an extreme danger to you, your family, or neighbors if a fire should ever occur? Wonder no more: it doesn’t.

Rifle and handgun cartridges consist of a metal case with a primer, gunpowder, and bullet; shotgun shells typically consist of a plastic or paper tube often with a metallic covering at the base which retains a primer, and the shot charge is typically contained by a wadding inside the case.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Learn the Basics of Ammunition with Winchester® Educational Infographics ]

In the following video by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute with input by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, over 400,000 rounds of bulk packaged and unpackaged small arms ammunition were burned and crushed in a variety of scenarios to determine the ammo’s lethality in stored configurations outside of firearms. The tests involved were single cartridge impact, 65-foot drop, bullet impact, blasting cap attacks, forklift and bulldozer friction and compression, bonfire with and without packaging, and retail store and semi-trailer fire simulations.

By semperverus
Posted on 12/27/202211/21/2023

22 Million USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns

The number of concealed handgun permits continues to increase, according to the Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2022 report from the Crime Prevention Research Center. The figure now stands at 22.01 million—8.5% of the adult population and a 2.3% increase over last year. Over the last two decades, during the exponential growth in permits, a general linear decline has occurred in murder and violent crime rates.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Map by the Crime Prevention Research Center showing the types of concealed carry states as of August 2022

Unlike gun ownership surveys that may be affected by people’s unwillingness to answer personal questions, concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” available. This increase occurred despite 24 Constitutional Carry states (AK, AR, AZ, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NH, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WV, WY) that no longer provide data on the legal carrying of a concealed handgun because people in those states no longer need a permit to carry. A 25th state, Alabama, has also adopted Constitutional Carry, but its law doesn’t go into effect until January 1, 2023.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 8.3% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns ]

These numbers are particularly topical given that the US Supreme Court in June 2022 struck down New York’s “May-Issue” Concealed Handgun Law, affirming a constitutional right to bear arms. The decision will have a major impact on concealed carry laws in the 7 states that had “May-Issue” type rules.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Important Judicial Decisions Regarding Self-Defense Law ]

Among the findings of the report:

Learn the Basics of Ammunition with Winchester^® Educational Infographics

By using retail surveys, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF^®) estimates records were surpassed when nearly 14 million Americans purchased a firearm for the first time in the two years of 2020 and 2021, when a total of about 40 million firearms were sold. Gallup research suggests 44% of US adults—114 million people—report living in a gun household.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The 4 Basic Rules of Gun Safety ]

With so many first-time gun owners needing to learn the basics of responsible firearm ownership, Winchester^®—the largest small caliber ammunition enterprise in the world—has created “Introduction to Ammunition-Ammo 101” easy-to-understand infographics illustrating the ammunition categories of

rimfire,
pistol,
centerfire, and
shotshell,

and showcasing

ammunition construction,
components,
calibers, and
common usage

for each.

Click each image below to enlarge it on your screen. Also, click here to download the pdf document of the following images.

Image of the inner working of pistol ammunition

Handgun calibers are determined by the inside diameter of the barrel they’re shot from. These sizes range from as small as .22 to as large as .50 caliber. Popular cartridges are .22 LR, .380 Auto, 9 MM, .38 Special, 40 S&W, and 45 Auto.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Checklist: Matters to Consider When Deciding on a Handgun which includes links to web articles that are glossaries of gun terms ]