The Armed Citizen® August 31, 2011

by
posted on August 31, 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 (4)

When three men claiming to be contractors told 86-year-old Walter Peppel that his roof was leaking-and that he needed to pay them $11,700 to fix it-he smelled a rat. The roof was in good condition, and the men had no uniforms, business cards or logo on their vehicle. One of the men was so bold as to climb atop Peppel’s roof without permission, claiming he needed to inspect it. Peppel told the men to leave the house. Instead, they shouted at Peppel, frightening his wife and demanding he pay them to fix the roof. That’s when Peppel got his original Winchester Model 94 lever-action and pointed it at the scammers. They fled before the Peppels could record their license plate number. (Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA, 05/09/11)

The Armed Citzen Extra

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

A Fresno, Calif., farmer was irrigating his fields late one evening when he noticed a car pull up to a man on a nearby road. When it became apparent that the men in the car were attempting to rob the man on the road, the farmer drew his handgun and intervened. Pointing his gun at the men in the car, he told them to get off of the property, and the men immediately sped away. (The Fresno Bee, Fresno, CA, 08/18/11)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

August 1976: Mackroy Griffin was checking the gas pumps at the Atlanta, Ga., car rental agency where he works when a man struck him on the head with a sawed-off shotgun and snarled, "Don't move or I'll kill you." Griffin knocked the weapon aside, drew a pistol and shot his assailant, who fled. Police later questioned a suspect with a gunshot wound who entered a local hospital. (The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Ga.)

Latest

target with holes
target with holes

Resisting the Temptation of "Good Enough" for Firearm Performance

No matter what firearm you're using for whatever purpose, even if it's simply a trip to the range, always resist the temptation to accept “good enough” if there is the possibility of better performance.

Armed Citizens Stop a Lot More Criminals Than Most in the Media Will Admit

Since January 2025, the Crime Prevention Research Center has documented 16 defensive gun uses in which police say armed citizens stopped mass public killings.

Federal & Mossberg Collaborate on Autonomous Airborne Drone Defense

Federal and Mossberg are working with Palladyne AI in the creation of SwarmShot, a kinetic defense system that employs swarms of armed drones to shield troops from unmanned aircraft system threats.

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.