The Armed Citizen® August 26, 2016

by
posted on August 26, 2016
** 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 (7)
A firearm proved to be the great equalizer when an ax-wielding burglar attempted to enter the home of a 92-year-old California man. The resident, a World War II veteran, armed himself after hearing a suspicious sound out by his back door. When he went to investigate, he witnessed the culprit using an ax to break through a window. “I let off a shot and he took off,” the armed citizen later told a reporter. The suspect was in such a hurry to leave that he left behind his ax. (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ, 2/3/16)


The Armed Citizen® Archives
March 1982

Retired postal clerk Clark Goodwin, 68, saw a pair of men leave his next-door neighbor’s house and try to break into the neighbor’s car. When he challenged them, one of the men fired at him with a .22-cal. pistol. Goodwin then returned fire with his own pistol, routing the two suspects. The next-door neighbor was found severely beaten and rolled up in a carpet. Police speculated that the criminals planned to return and kill him. Goodwin was honored by the St. Louis Grand Jury Ass’n for his actions. (The Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO)

Latest

Icarry Taurus TX9 Compact 1
Icarry Taurus TX9 Compact 1

I Carry: Taurus TX9 Compact in a Galco Holster

In our latest "I Carry" segment, we pair the new Taurus TX9 Compact with a leather Stow-N-Go holster from Galco, Inc. This compact, concealed-carry kit is rounded out with an Xolotl automatic knife produced by CRKT.

The Armed Citizen® March 13, 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.

Review: Canik USA MC9 Prime

Canik USA built out its concealed-carry handgun lineup with the MC9 Prime, which is a larger, yet still slim, CCW gun that sits in the same category as other upsized micro-compacts.

U.S. Army Awards Mossberg Contract for Additional 590A1 Pump-Action Shotguns

The U.S. Army has awarded O.F. Mossberg & Sons a contract for approximately $11.6 million dollars to supply the U.S. Army with additional Mossberg 590A1 pump-action shotguns.

250 Years of the U.S. Army: Bolt-Actions & Semi-Automatics on the Battlefield

In just a few decades, the U.S. Army would see itself go from a single-shot, blackpowder design in the form of the Trapdoor Springfield to a modern, semi-automatic fighting rifle in the M1 Garand.

Modernized & Economical Muzzleloaders: The CVA Optima XP & XP-SB

CVA's longest-lasting muzzleloader design, the Optima, has been updated in 2026 with "modern ergonomics and modularity."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.