The Armed Citizen® August 18, 2017

by
posted on August 18, 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 (4)

In Tennessee, a law-abiding gun owner ended a reported criminal tear that two fugitives had been on since they escaped from a prison work crew in Georgia several days earlier. Police officers credited the Shelbyville man not only for capturing the escapees, but also for his restraint during the encounter. Because the bad guys stopped posing a threat after the armed citizen brandished his loaded gun, he was judicious enough not to fire a shot. The Tennessee man heard the escaped convicts had been spotted in his area of the state. In a pre-emptive move, he loaded all his firearms so he’d be ready to defend his family as needed. When he saw two strangers climb over his fence and approach his home, he ushered his daughter to the car. As he was doing so, and with a gun in his hand, he noticed that the runners were taking off their shirts and waving them in motion of surrendering. The armed citizen then held the escapees at gunpoint until police arrived in droves shortly thereafter. (The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, 6/16/17) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
A restaurant deliveryman was fulfilling a take-out order, and drove to the residence with his dashboard-mounted camera in place. When two men answered his knock on the door, one of them was pointing a pistol at him, and ordered, “Come inside, it’s over.” The deliveryman tried to run away but a third man with a gun and a sock wrapped around his face suddenly appeared. The deliveryman threw the food at him, began to run and fired his own gun at the robbers. He continued to run and yelled at neighbors to call 9-1-1. When police arrived, the deliveryman was holding one of the criminals at gunpoint. Police eventually arrested the other men in connection with the robbery. (Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL, 6/21/17) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
August 1981
Robert Green was inside the camper parked in his Wichita Falls, Texas, driveway when he spotted a man breaking into a neighbor’s house. He grabbed his pistol, ran to the house, and confronted the burglar as he emerged from a side door. Green held the man until police arrived. (The Record News, Wichita Falls, TX)

Latest

magazines with ammo
magazines with ammo

Old (Un)reliable: Finding a Magazine that Works for Your 1911

There have been more than 100 manufacturers of 1911-style pistols and magazines, some more faithful to the original drawings than others.

3 New Shotgun Suppressors for 2026

Just because you're in the field hunting for upland game or busting clays at your local range doesn't mean you can't protect your hearing.

First Breach Begins Trading on NASDAQ Under "FBDT" Ticker Symbol

In August 2026, First Breach Defense Technologies, a producer of ammunition and unmanned aerial systems based in Hagerstown, Md., announced that its common stock had begun trading on the NASDAQ capital market under the ticker symbol "FBDT."

Review: Franchi Momentum Elite MULE

Franchi’s Momentum Elite MULE is a not-quite-a-scout rifle that has a lot to offer the modern rifle shooter.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 24, 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.

I Have This Old Gun: Smith & Wesson K-22 Masterpiece

Smith & Wesson's rimfire K-22 Masterpiece revolver proved that quality costs, but it also sells.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.