The Armed Citizen® May 8, 2012

by
posted on May 8, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ac2009_fs.jpg (1)

Between 2 and 3 p.m. a woman was stopped along the highway when a man approached her car door. He pulled out a knife that appeared to already have a bloody blade and demanded that she go with him. He threatened her, telling her that if she did not comply she would “end up like that woman on TV.” The woman believed he was referring to a missing teacher confirmed dead just days before. She told the man to wait while she got her cigarettes, then reached down and pulled out a gun. The man quickly fled. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, Mont., 1/14/12)

The Armed Citizen Extra

(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman)

A man in Illinois entered a convenience store with less than noble ideas on the night of March 15, and wound up getting more than he bargained for. The suspect in question brandished a gun barrel from beneath his white t-shirt and demanded that the store employees give him all of their money. One clerk sprung into action, retrieving a legally owned pistol and firing it upward at a 45-degree angle. The shot sent the would-be robber scrambling for the door and into an alley. Police are still investigating. (The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill., 3/17/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

May 1981: When he saw three robbers speeding away from a grocery store near his El Paso, Ark., service station, Jim Smith grabbed a .44 Mag. Revolver and a 12-ga. Shotgun and gave chase. He pursued the trio for several miles, eventually catching one stickup man and holding him for police. “I’m a Christian and I go to church,” Smith said, “but I don’t want people running over us.” (The Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, Ark.)

Latest

Derya MAX 01
Derya MAX 01

Maxed Out: Derya's New MAX Shotgun

The Derya Arms MAX is a new semi-auto shotgun designed for serious competitive shooters that is made entirely in the USA.

Breaking Through the "Bulletproof Bubble"

The "Bulletproof Bubble" is one of the most frustrating things a shooter can experience, because it doesn't make any sense. Every round seems to land all around the exact center of your point of aim instead of in it.

Sharpen Your Shooting Skills: Prairie Dogs

Reactive targets, such as prairie dogs, offer many lessons about one’s long-range abilities.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 7, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Gun of the Week: Zev Technologies x Magpul FDP-C

One of the most anticipated firearm releases of 2026 was the Zev Technologies FDP, a folding pistol-caliber design that the company produced in conjunction with Magpul Industries.

Review: Taurus 22TUC

Taurus USA's 22TUC is a little, polymer-framed .22 pocket pistol with a tip-up barrel design that, unlike many of the company's guns, is made entirely in the United States.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.