The Armed Citizen® September 14, 2018

by
posted on September 14, 2018
** 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 (3)

Mothers have always been known to protect their offspring, so it should come as no surprise that a mom went to great lengths to save her children from a thief who tried to ride off with her car—with her two toddlers inside. The woman had pulled into a service station to get gasoline. As she stepped away to pay for the fuel, a stranger entered her car and started it. Before he drove off, the mom grabbed the handle of the back door and jumped inside. She told the would-be carjacker to stop, but he refused. The mother reached over the front seat, opened the glove compartment and grabbed the gun she kept there for defensive purposes, then she shot the culprit in the head. He rammed the car into a utility pole, injuring only himself. He was then taken for treatment and charged. “I’m not a killer,” the mom told a reporter after the incident, “but I do believe in defending what’s mine.” (wfaa.com, Dallas, TX, 7/5/18) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
When a man opened fire at a local festival in Florida, another man, who was licensed to carry, fired back. Authorities said the gunman got into a fistfight earlier in the day, and returned to the festival with a gun and started shooting. A bystander returned fire, hitting the gunman in the head. Fortunately, no one else was injured. The gunman was taken to a hospital, and the bystander was not expected to face charges. (usnews.com, Titusville, FL, 8/6/18) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives 
September 1985
Despite being warned, a prowler who had been banging on a window of Gary Junghans’ Junction City, Kan., home burst through the door. As the intruder approached the bedrooms where Junghans, his wife, and son were, the homeowner repeatedly told him to stop, with no results. Junghans picked up a gun and fired once, wounding the man, who was held until police arrived. (The Daily Union, Junction City, KS)

Latest

Sar Gotw Web
Sar Gotw Web

Gun Of The Week: Sarsilmaz SAR9 SC Gen3

As part of a new family of guns, SAR USA offers its SAR9 SC Gen3, a small, subcompact, striker-fired design made for daily carry. Watch our video to see this concealable pistol in use on the range.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 7, 2025

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: Taurus Model 58

Announced publicly in April 2025 at the NRA Annual Meetings and Events convention in Atlanta, Ga., Taurus USA has filled the traditional double-action void of full-size .380-ACP-chambered handguns within its American catalog by launching the Model 58.

Smith & Wesson Announces $150 American Guardians Rebate

Smith & Wesson's American Guardians Rebate program allows military veterans and first responders to get a break on the cost of Smith & Wesson firearms or Gemtech suppressors.

Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0

Smith & Wesson went back to the drawing board with its Bodyguard .380, and in 2024, the company rolled out the Bodyguard 2.0, which is one of the smallest and lightest defensive pistols in the S&W lineup.

The Glenfield Model A: Ruger Revives A Storied Brand

Following Marlin's resurrection, Ruger is now reviving another storied brand, Glenfield Firearms, and the brand's inaugural design, the Model A, borrows design elements from Ruger's Gen 1 American rifle.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.