introduction to firearms – Page 6

Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps

As of 2022, the number of permits issued by USA states for citizens to legally carry concealed weapons numbered more than 22 million, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center. And as of 2024, a majority of states in the USA—29—allow the concealed carry of firearms without the need for a permit or license from the government.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 7.6% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns ]

Each state has its own qualifications and statutes governing the practice of concealed carrying. As a result, the USA consists of a complex patchwork of concealed carry legislation that unsuspecting responsible law-abiding armed self-defenders can easily be ignorant of and in danger of unwittingly and innocently violating.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, USA State Constitutions Providing for Armed Self-Defense ]

See USCCA's interactive Concealed Carry Reciprocity Map & Gun Laws By State

Source: USCCA interactive Concealed Carry Reciprocity Map & Gun Laws By State

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

A Directory of Firearm Podcasts & Video Channels

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense Training Directory ]

Invite SemperVerus^® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

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Checklist: Matters to Consider When Deciding on a Handgun

If you’re thinking about becoming a handgun owner, you may be wondering how to begin. Perhaps the thought of walking into a gun store makes you nervous. Or confused. The extreme variety of firearms from which to choose can be daunting and baffling.

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

Click the image below to enlarge this PDF document created by SemperVerus to help you narrow the options to your specific situation. Download, print, and take it to your gun store to work through the choices with a knowledgeable and helpful firearms retailer.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense Training Directory ]

Checklist: Matters to Consider When Deciding on a Handgun

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Process of Becoming a First Time Gun Owner ]

To help you compare how you handle different firearms, see this list of worthwhile items to evaluate compiled by TacticalProfessor Claude Werner for testing and deciding what gun is right for you. Also see his Pistol Evaluation checklist.

You may find A Glossary of Gun Terms by AmmoMan.com, Gun Glossary For Women Shooters by Carrie Lightfoot at The Well Armed Woman, USCCA’s Terminology Guide, Pew Pew Tactical’s Handgun Training Terminology You Should Know, and USA Carry’s Firearms Terms for the Beginner to be useful in your personal firearm education.

Also see TheTruthAboutGuns.com for “Guns for Beginners” articles, GunMagWarehouse.com for A Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Handgun, and Pew Pew Tactical’s Beginner’s Guide to Guns.

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

And learn about USA state gun laws at

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Directory of Holster Makers ]

Invite SemperVerus^® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

Join the SemperVerus Brotherhood™!

The 4 Basic Rules of Gun Safety

Col. Jeff Cooper (1920–2006) was a US Marine, the creator of the modern technique of handgun shooting, and an expert on the use and history of small arms. He introduced the concept of the mental alertness color code which indicates the degree of peril a person is willing to act upon and which facilitates a person to move from one level of mindset to another (situational awareness) to enable the person to properly handle a given situation.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Checklist: Matters to Consider When Deciding on a Handgun ]

As a way of encouraging universal firearm safety, Col. Cooper also advocated a simple 4-point set of rules anyone can understand: