The Armed Citizen® June 2, 2017

by
posted on June 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

While it’s not a situation you’d ever hope to be in, a recent case shows that being armed with a handgun can be enough to get the better of a troublemaker who is armed with an AK-47. A Jacksonville, Fla., resident heard gunshots and screaming one day and went outside with a handgun tucked inside his belt. The armed suspect was waving his rifle around and had tried to shoot a neighborhood dog that was near some people. As the stranger started walking toward the neighbors, the armed citizen shouted out that he wouldn’t abide violent crime in the neighborhood and told the hoodlum to leave. Instead, the outsider turned his rifle on the armed citizen, who fired his handgun, scaring off the bad guy. (news4jax.com, Jacksonville, FL, 3/20/17) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Early one morning, two hooded and armed thugs barged into an apartment by kicking in the front door. One of the residents, a Marine veteran, jumped up off the couch in his living room when he heard the loud noises. The intruders and the veteran began to scuffle, when another resident, the son of the veteran, heard the commotion and emerged from the bedroom with a handgun. He fired at the trespassers, killing one, who turned out to have a long history of criminal activity, and wounding the other. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt lake City, UT, 4/1/17) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
June 1970
Returning home from a skeet-shooting tournament, Gary K. Loyd and his son Keith, 15, of Boise, Idaho, encountered two burglars in their storage room. They covered the pair with their skeet guns until police arrived. (Statesman, Boise, ID)

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.