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

Chiappa Rhino Large Frame 01
Chiappa Rhino Large Frame 01

A Bigger Rhino: The Chiappa 60DS L-Frame In .44 Mag.

The Chiappa Rhino revolver design is "anything but ordinary," and for 2026, the company is upscaling the concept to handle the .44 Magnum cartridge.

Preview: Magpul MOE QD Bipod For M-Lok

Simple, inexpensive and supremely easy to use, the new MOE QD Bipod For M-Lok is Magpul’s fastest-mounting bipod model by far, as it takes only about five seconds for the practiced hand to securely affix it to an M-Lok-clad fore-end.

Gun Of The Week: Henry SPD HUSH

For its first design, Henry Repeating Arms' Special Products Division developed the HUSH, or the Henry Ultimate Suppressor Host. 

The Armed Citizen® Dec. 19, 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.

TriStar Arms Protégé X: A Pocket-Size Punch

Inspired by successful designs of the past, the TriStar Arms Protégé X is a pocket-size, M1911-style handgun chambered for the popular 9 mm cartridge.

Hornady Family Honored with Legacy Award

In October, the Hornady family was recognized by the Greater Grand Island Community Foundation for its contribution to the city that Hornady calls home.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.