The Armed Citizen® August 2010

by
posted on July 14, 2010
** 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

*In February an NRA-supported federal law went into effect permitting people who may legally carry firearms to do so in many previously gun-free national parks. Three months later, a backpacker chose to exercise the new right while hiking in Alaska’s Denali National Park. His decision and the new law likely saved his life and that of the female hiker accompanying him. They discovered bear sign and went on high alert. The bear, a grizzly, quickly emerged and charged the female hiker. The man drew a .45 ACP pistol and fired about nine shots, killing the bear. (Daily News-Miner, Fairbanks, AK, 05/30/10)

*Police say four known gang members burst into an Arizona store that sells car alarms and stereos and announced the robbery. The gang members began ransacking the store and forced an employee into a back office at gunpoint. That’s when the store’s owner emerged onto the scene and opened fire with a shotgun. One gang member was killed and two were wounded. The store owner, whose forearm was slightly injured by return fire, held the three surviving suspects for the police. (Associated Press, 05/12/10)

The Armed Citizen Extra

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

A 74-year-old man was home alone when an intruder broke into his house. The homeowner and the intruder knew each other from the neighborhood, but were not friends. The intruder began beating the homeowner in the face and demanding money. Then the homeowner grabbed the .22-caliber rifle he kept next to his bed and fired two shots at the intruder, killing him. The homeowner sustained wounds to his eye and head, and was taken to the hospital but was later released. (The Herald Tribune, Sarasota, FL, 05/19/10)

From the Armed Citizen Archive

August 1959: Teddy Jett of Borger, Tex., was friendly to 2 young hitchhikers he had picked up until the one in the back seat struck him on the head with a steel rod. Jett slammed on the brakes, grabbed his pistol from under the seat, and disarmed his assailant. Then, with blood spilling down his face, he drove them at gunpoint into nearby Vega and turned them over to the sheriff. (The Amarillo Daily News)

Latest

Charter Arms Double Dog Gotw Web
Charter Arms Double Dog Gotw Web

Gun Of The Week: Charter Arms Double Dog

For this Gun Of The Week episode, we’re on the range with a convertible wheelgun from Charter Arms, and it’s one that goes from .357 Mag to 9 mm Luger quickly and easily. Welcome to the Double Dog.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 17, 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.

The Robbins & Lawrence Story: Pioneers Of Mass Production

The Robbins & Lawrence company of Windsor, Vt., was an early pioneer in the field of mass production, using machine tools and interchangeable parts to produce firearms for both the U.S. and British governments.

CMP Auctions Move To GunBroker.com

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has moved its popular auctions to GunBroker.com, an online firearm marketplace that launched in 1999, to further support the future of the shooting sports and firearm ownership.

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."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.