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

Crosman Raiden 01
Crosman Raiden 01

Affordable, Full-Auto Fun: The Crosman Raiden BB Gun

Over the past two decades, the world of BB guns has gotten way more sophisticated than the simple muscle-powered models of our youth. A case in point is Crosman’s new-for-2026 Raiden.

New Dragons: Managing Muzzle Flash From Today's Suppressors

Muzzle flash has always been an issue for those who employ firearms seriously, and with today's crop of suppressors, there are design elements to be aware of.

Gun of the Week: Mossberg 590R Chisel

For those who are seeking a shotgun that's a bit more heavy-duty, Mossberg's 590 line offers plenty of options, and one of the latest is the striking 590R Chisel.

The Armed Citizen® June 12, 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.

A Cathartic Journey Back to Midway Arms & the MidwayUSA Foundation

NRA CEO & EVP Doug Hamlin returned to MidwayUSA, a place he first visited decades ago in the early 1990s as publisher of Guns & Ammo magazine alongside the late, great Robert E. Petersen.

Review: Steiner MPS-C

The new Steiner MPS-C is the compact but rugged, closed-emitter optic we’ve all been waiting for.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.