The Armed Citizen® July 10, 2015

by
posted on July 10, 2015
** 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 (1)
The threat of being shot was enough to scare off a prowler in Burton, S.C. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said a woman was sitting on her couch one mid-December evening when a man appeared at her window and told her to open her door. Instead, she grabbed her gun and pointed it at the man, who immediately fled. Deputies searched for the suspect, but did not find him. (The Island Packet/Beaufort News, Beaufort, SC, 12/19/14)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
An Ontario, Calif., man learned painfully that he had chosen the wrong vehicle to steal. According to the police, the 26-year-old approached an off-duty probation officer and his wife as they were loading groceries into their car and demanded a ride from them. When the couple refused, the stranger brandished a knife and insisted that they give him a ride. At this point, the officer pulled his handgun and ordered the thief to the ground. The assailant initially complied, but then he got back up, at which point the probation officer shot him once in the chest and arm. Taken to a local hospital and listed in critical condition, the police say the suspect will be charged with attempted carjacking when he has recovered from his injury. (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, CA, 5/30/15)


From the Armed Citizen® Archives
January 1978
Because his San Antonio, Texas, home had been burglarized before, Edwin Jowers was prepared when he heard breaking glass. Placing a whispered call to the police, he then armed himself with a shotgun and confronted the two burglars. One of the pair, both of whom were in their teens, fled, but the other surrendered, and Jowers held him at gunpoint until sheriff’s deputies arrived. (The News, San Antonio, TX)

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

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.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.