The Armed Citizen® February 8, 2021

by
posted on February 8, 2021
** 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. **
The Armed Citizen

Armed Citizen® Today

A man in Old Hickory, Tenn., defended himself on the night of Feb. 5 from an apparent armed robbery that turned out to be an ill-planned prank attempt.

The incident occurred around 9:20 p.m. that Friday night in the parking lot of Urban Air trampoline park. Two young adults had the idea that they would fake an armed robbery on people walking to their cars in the parking lot to make a prank video for YouTube. The two fake armed robbers, wielding butcher knives, decided to target a small group of people in the parking lot.

The two approached the group wielding their butcher knives, but unbeknown to them, an armed citizen in the group wouldn't be so helpless. When confronted, the man in the group drew his pistol and fired, killing the 20-year-old prankster in the process. No charges have been filed against the armed citizen, and the investigation is ongoing. (wkrn.com, Nashville, Tenn., 02/06/2021)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives January 1977

When a late-night intruder broke into the rural Fowler, Calif., home of Forest H. Smith, 81, neighbors alerted his son-in-law, Roy Garrett. Garrett and his two teenage sons rushed to the old man's home, where they found the thug holding a knife to Smith's throat.

After the man swung at him several times with the knife, Garrett shot him in the shoulder with a rifle, but the powerful crook kept coming. Garrett's younger son then broke a shotgun over the criminal's head, sending him fleeing outside. There, the other son bashed him with a baseball bat, then held the unconscious burglar for sheriff's deputies. (
The Bee, Fresno, Calif.)

Latest

Hk Cc9 GOTW 1
Hk Cc9 GOTW 1

Gun of the Week: Heckler & Koch CC9

The Heckler & Koch CC9 isn't merely just another micro-compact. It's the result of a significant amount of work on the part of the company's US subsidiary to create the first truly American-made HK.

The Armed Citizen® May 22, 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.

Political Report | Braced Pistols’ Status Unresolved

The U.S. Supreme Court has characterized handguns as the “quintessential” Second Amendment arm. Pistol braces increase accuracy and ease of operation for large-format handguns, especially for users suffering from physical disabilities.

The PROOF Research PXT: A New Approach to Barrel Rifling

PROOF Research has introduced PROOF eXponential Twist (PXT)—an advancement in rifling that improves durability, accuracy and shootability—to the commercial market.

Review: Springfield Armory Model 2020 Heatseeker

Back when American Rifleman reviewed Springfield's Model 2020 Waypoint, we noted that we ...couldn’t help but wonder if a tactical-version Model 2020 rifle might be a logical future offshoot of the Waypoint hunting rifle." With the Model 2020 Heatseeker, that version is finally here.

Marlin Goes Mad: The Marlin Mad Pig Customs Model 1894

Marlin’s latest Model 1894 lever-action rifle, a collaboration with Mad Pig Customs that is a far cry from traditional, delivers “modern, factory‑installed features previously found only on custom builds.”

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.