The Armed Citizen® August 19, 2011

by
posted on August 19, 2011
** 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)

Robert Parsley was watching television one evening when he heard a noise outside. He quickly grabbed his Smith & Wesson Model 360 revolver chambered in .357 Mag. to investigate. The doorbell rang several times. Parsley looked out the window and saw a man tugging on the locked screen door. Holding the gun behind his back, he turned on the porch light and asked the young man what he was doing. He claimed his wife was in labor, and heavily perspiring, he said that he needed help. But Parsley found the man’s story suspicious. His instincts were correct: Earlier that evening the man stole an excavator and used it to severely damage a church. Parsley lowered the gun, bringing it into view. “Sorry for waking you!” the young man said as he ran off. Two police cruisers pulled up with their spotlights on searching for a suspect. Parsley told them in what direction the suspect had run and they found him breaking into a nearby home. (WTVD-ABC, Raleigh, NC, 05/20/11)

Armed Citizen Extra

(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)

When a female grocery store clerk saw three teenage boys takesome potato chips from the store without paying, she demanded that they immediately return the food. Two of the teens gave the chips back, but the other refused. Then he pulled a gun, aimed it at the clerk and threatened to shoot. The clerk then pulled her own gun and shot the teen in the buttocks. Police said they would seek robbery charges upon the boy's release from the hospital. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, MO, 11/24/10)

From The Armed Citizen Archive

August 1976: A ringing doorbell woke Monte Scales in his Austin, Texas, apartment. As he rose from bed, he heard what sounded like a key being inserted into the lock, then saw a man armed with a butcher knife and a screwdriver standing in the doorway. Scales threw an ashtray at the man and reached for a gun. The intruder fled. (The Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Tex.)

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.