The Armed Citizen® January 6, 2012

by
posted on January 6, 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

It was not a good day on the job for one would-be burglar. First, he tried to climb in the window of 77-year-old Donald McElrea’s home, but was caught in the act. Pistol in hand, McElrea confronted the burglar. The gun startled the burglar so badly that he lost his footing and plummeted 20 feet over the side of the elevated deck. McElrea told the burglar to stay on the ground while his wife called the police, and the burglar should’ve just cut his losses at that point. Instead he got up and charged McElrea, who opened fire. Police arrived to find the burglar injured from the fall, shot in the arm and considering a new line of work. (Harrison Daily Times, Harrison, AR, 10/18/11)

The Armed Citizen Extra

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

It was a seemingly quiet afternoon in a Pittsburgh, Pa., car repair shop when suddenly a masked man entered through an open door, wielding a gun and demanding money from the shop owner. After the owner handed over his money, the masked intruder stunned him in the back of the head with a stun gun. A Vietnam veteran and NRA firearms instructor who specializes in personal protection, the owner stumbled to his feet and grabbed his gun. When the intruder pointed his gun at him, the owner fired one shot, killing the man. (The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, 12/18/10)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

January 1966: When two gunmen in Upland, Calif., took $150 from liquor store owner Hugh M. Davenport and fled, Davenport ran out of the store with his carbine and riddled the fleeing bandits' car, bringing it to a halt. Davenport ruptured the left front tire and put holes in the radiator, the gas tank and the oil pan. The thugs then fled on foot. However, they were captured minutes later by the police. (The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA)

Latest

Ruger Beretta Agreement F Updated
Ruger Beretta Agreement F Updated

Beretta Holding and Ruger Agree to Partnership

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. and Beretta Holding S.A. have announced that both companies are entering into a strategic cooperation agreement.

Return of the Encore: T/C Arms Brings Back Its Iconic Single-Shot

In 2024, former owner Gregg Ritz purchased Thompson/Center Arms. Now the company has introduced a modern take on its classic Contender/Encore concept: the ENCORE PROHunter.

7 New ARs for 2026

While it's certainly a saturated marketplace these days, the AR-15 has never been more popular with American firearm enthusiasts, and many manufacturers are continuing to feed the need with new options loaded with new features.

The Armed Citizen® May 4, 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.

The Drawbacks of Being a Numbers-Oriented Gun Guy

Like any hobby or pastime that is in any way even vaguely related to machines or technology, firearms attract a (possibly) disproportionate number of “right-brained,” STEM-oriented personalities who like numbers.

First Look: MDT Hand Cannon Slingshot

Slingshots are fun, but they can also be a legitimate backup defensive tool—in 2023, a 13-year-old Michigan boy saved his 8-year-old sister from being kidnapped by using a $3 slingshot to fire a marble and a rock at the assailant, striking him in the chest and head.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.