The Armed Citizen® August 7, 2012

by
posted on August 7, 2012
** 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

When 14-year-old Brady went to the kitchen for a glass of water late one night, he heard voices. Brady said, “I walked to the edge of the stairs and I [heard] them talking. I didn’t recognize their voices and I went back to my room and got my 12-gauge shotgun. I loaded it.”  The boy confronted the men. The intruders had their own firearms pointed at Brady, but fled upon seeing his shotgun pointed back at them. (FOX16, Little Rock, Ark., 4/30/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

May 1987: Dennis Donovan was talking to a customer in a Portland, Oreg., convenience store when an armed man wearing a ski mask burst through the door. "This is for real, hit the floor," the man shouted, and he began firing. Donovan reached for a .357 Mag. under the counter and shot back, forcing the robber out the door. It was not known if the intruder was hit. (The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

November 1969: Hearing a scream for help in his apartment building, Gary Collins of Dallas, Tex., rushed into the hallway with a gun to investigate. He found a man attempting to assault a woman in the doorway of her apartment, and held the assailant at gunpoint while the woman summoned police. (Dallas, Tex., Morning News)

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.