The Armed Citizen® October 2, 2017

by
posted on October 2, 2017
** 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

Early one Saturday morning, a homeowner and his wife received a shocking wake-up call. Two intruders entered their home just after 3 a.m. The woman and 14-month-old baby retreated to a back room as the man confronted both home invaders with a hammer. Struggling against them, the man ran outside to his car and managed to retrieve his firearm. He returned to the house and shot at both of them. “The only thing going through my mind is if they do something to me there’s nobody…to protect my wife and son,” he told a local media outlet. Both intruders were taken to the hospital after police arrived at the home. (Cincinnati.com, Columbia Township, OH, 7/22/17) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
One morning a homeowner went to check on her vacant rental property and was surprised to discover a man hiding in the basement behind a clothes dryer. Armed with a handgun, the homeowner held the intruder at gunpoint and learned there was a second intruder, who tried to flee while the homeowner called he police. He was later apprehended. Both trespassers were charged with second-degree burglary, attempted petit larceny and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Additionally, the second burglar was charged with resisting arrest. (The Post-Journal, Lakewood, NY, 6/8/17)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
October 1958
A prowler who gained entrance to the second-floor porch of an East Side Cleveland home by using the roof of his car as a ladder, panicked when Phyllis Stewart, 14, saw him in her room and screamed. Her father, Donley Stewart, roused by the noise, grabbed his rifle and caught the fleeing intruder in the driveway. Stewart, 38, held the intruder at rifle point until the police arrived. (Cleveland News, Cleveland, OH)

Latest

Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1
Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1

I Carry: Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished in a Falco C631 Gorham Holster

In our latest episode of "I Carry" above, we're taking a closer look at the details of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, and we're packaging it with a high-quality leather holster from Falco Holsters, along with a new EDC knife from Work Sharp.

ATF Suffers Major Cybersecurity Incident

On Aug. 27, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced that an outside group had breached its systems in what it termed a "major incident."

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 28, 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.

A Conversation About Gun-Making in America

Recently, a paper titled “The American Tradition of Self-Made Arms" written by Joe Greenlee, director of NRA-ILA's Office of Litigation Counsel,was cited by a court in an important ruling on frame-or-receiver litigation.

The Model 87 Ultra Special: A Rare Survivor of Ithaca's Final Gamble

In the spring of 1990, an 18-year-old received a shotgun he didn't order. The Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special he got instead was the last gasp of one of America's most iconic shotgun makers.

As Gun Sales Stay High, Violent Crime Hits a Historic Low

According to a recent report from the FBI on national crime statistics, violent crime has decreased 9.3 percent from 2024, marking the largest year-to-year drop since the 1930s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.