The Armed Citizen® January 10, 2020

by
posted on January 10, 2020
** 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. **
armed-citizen-main-image.jpg (2)

While tending to his chickens at 7:30 p.m. in Maryland on Nov. 7, 2019, a man heard his French bulldog frantically barking inside his home. Upon entering the house, the homeowner saw two men allegedly attacking his fiancée. He loaded a 12-gauge shotgun from 1940 with buckshot and chased the two intruders outside, where he shot one man in the legs, while the other fled on foot. The armed citizen used the shotgun to defend himself, his fiancée and his property.

Anne Arundel County Police called the incident a home invasion. They arrested the suspect who fled and charged him with multiple offenses while the injured suspect received medical treatment. The fiancée was pistol-whipped and punched, requiring stitches in her head. According to police, the one suspect allegedly disclosed that he and his accomplice entered the home while armed with a pellet gun. (capitalgazette.com, Annapolis, Md., 11/7/2019; wbaltv.com and baltimore.cbslocal.com, both from Baltimore, Md., 11/8/2019)

Armed Citizen Extra
The old adage states that "no good deed goes unpunished." Fortunately, armed citizens have a little more control over the outcome of their good deeds. When a Good Samaritan approached a man who had been hit by a car with the intention of helping him out, the injured man produced a boxcutter and went after him, as well as another man who had come to help. This prompted an about-face for the Good Samaritan, who was forced to draw his sidearm and shoot the man in the leg. (tampabay.com, Largo, Fla., 4/13/2019)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives (January 1972)
A holdup man in Francisco Collazo's Chicago, Ill., grocery store aimed his gun at Collazo's wife and pulled the trigger twice because his demands for cash were not met. The revolver misfired both rimes. Collazo pulled his own revolver and killed the robber. (The Chicago Daily News, Chicago, Ill.)

Latest

Smith Wesson Model 29 10 Facts 1
Smith Wesson Model 29 10 Facts 1

10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About The Smith & Wesson Model 29

Without a doubt, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 is one of the 20th century’s most shootable, collectible "superstar" revolvers. Here are a few little-known facts about the gun.

Packable Punch: Discreet Ways to Carry More Firepower

While folding and takedown firearms chambered for full-power rifle cartridges may be niche defensive tools, the dark situations in which they shine brightest aren’t going away anytime soon.

Southpaw Solution: Ruger Introduces Left-Handed American Gen II Ranch Rifles

Traditionally, Ruger has offered a range of left-handed rifle models for the southpaws among us, and now, the company's Gen II American rifles are available in a left-handed variant, starting with the Ranch models.

Gun of the Week: Kimber 1911 DS Warrior LW

In 2026, Kimber developed its 1911 DS Warrior, an American-made, double-stack design that is intended to be an affordable entry point into Kimber's double-stack handgun line.

The Armed Citizen® April 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.

Spin Difference: The Impact of Barrel Twist Rates on Terminal Performance

When most shooters think of rifling-twist rates, they mostly think of rifles with their high BC projectiles, but the rpm of a bullet also plays a part in terminal performance.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.