The Armed Citizen® August 11, 2017

by
posted on August 11, 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 (2)

When a Pennsylvania man heard his front door being kicked in early one June morning, followed by his wife’s screams, he grabbed his handgun and went to investigate. Downstairs, he saw a stranger, armed with a piece of wood. As the intruder lunged toward the armed homeowner with the wood raised in a threatening manner, the resident fired and the intruder collapsed. The homeowner’s wife then called 9-1-1. The suspect was taken to the hospital, where he was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. He faces charges of burglary, simple assault and criminal mischief. (pennlive.com, Harrisburg, PA, 6/4/17)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
A group of would-be burglars broke into a house of a Marine Corps veteran, threatening to harm him if he reported the crime. Unintimidated, the veteran immediately reported the break-in, and as promised, the thugs returned with a shotgun and fired several shots into the house. The homeowner retrieved his own firearm, but not before getting hit in the shoulder. Undeterred, the brave veteran returned fire, wounding all three intruders. Police arrested one of them at the house and caught the other two at a nearby store. The homeowner was taken to a hospital for treatment and, according to the sheriff captain, was deemed to have acted in “a clear-cut case of self-defense.” The trio was set to be booked into jail after being released from the hospital. (The Press-Register, Mobile, AL, 6/22/17) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
August 1960
In Columbus, Ga., Mrs. Thelma D. Lee, a mother of five small children, awoke to see an intruder at her bedside. Mrs. Lee, whose husband must work at night, eased a cal. .22 revolver from under her pillow and fired. The intruder fled to another room and Mrs. Lee fired at him again. Police found his body face down nearby. (AP, Columbus, GA)

Latest

French Charleville Ihtog 1
French Charleville Ihtog 1

I Have This Old Gun: The French Charleville Musket

One of the most important military arms ever made, the French Charleville musket saw use in the American Revolution and armed French troops throughout the Napoleonic Wars.

CVA Endura Series: The Modernized Muzzleloader Of 2025

CVA built on the success of its Paramount muzzleloader to create the Endura, a design that the company calls "the most advanced muzzleloader series CVA has ever built."

Review: FN 15 Guardian

FN America has sought to bring its legendary quality and reliability to an AR-15 that lists for just $999, and we believe that it has done this well with its 15 Guardian carbine.

Springfield Armory Hellcat Now Available In .380 ACP

Despite the extensive number of Hellcat models in its lineup, Springfield Armory has only offered the pistol in one chambering, 9 mm Luger, until now. The .380 ACP model offers similar capabilities with softer recoil.

Arms Of The Mail Guard Marines

While difficult to imagine today, brazen armed thefts of the U.S. Mail in the 1920s became all too common and beyond the abilities of mail personnel to handle. Enter the U.S. Marines—armed to the teeth.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 13, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.