The Armed Citizen® July 27, 2018

by
posted on July 27, 2018
** 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 (7)

Calling 9-1-1 when someone breaks into your home is the right thing to do, but sometimes help doesn’t arrive soon enough. That’s when a gun for personal defense can help, as a case involving a home invasion near Decatur, Ala., shows. An intruder forced his way into a home and grabbed a knife that he found there. He later fought with two people inside the home. He injured both, but one of them grabbed a gun and shot him. Police dispatchers had received a call about the burglary, but the residents had to defend themselves before the officers arrived. The suspect was found dead at the scene. (The Gadsden Times, Gadsden, AL, 5/14/18) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Thanks to an armed citizen, a robbery spree was abruptly interrupted. An armed robber, who had previously hit a local market, moved on to a convenience store, displaying a handgun as he entered the store. A legally armed patron inside the store saw what was about to go down and confronted the robber, who immediately fled the scene. (The Patriot-News, Hummelstown, PA, 6/23/18) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
July 1974
As Memphis, Tenn., shoemaker E.L. King put new heels on a man’s shoes, the stocking-footed patron drew a gun and demanded money. King promptly pulled a pistol and ordered the gunman to leave. Two accomplices vanished, but the “customer” lingered briefly to ask for the return of his shoes. King opened fire and the man raced away barefoot. (The Memphis Press-Scrimitar, Memphis, TN)

Latest

weapons of war
weapons of war

A Deadly Testing Ground: Guns of the Spanish Civil War

Great powers have often used smaller conflicts as test beds for new weapon systems, and also as dumping grounds for obsolete machinery. The Spanish Civil War was one such conflict.

Sequel: The New Taurus Judge

Not content to merely mark the gun's 20th anniversary with a special engraved edition, Taurus also introduced the New Taurus Judge this year.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 3, 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.

Questions & Answers: A Wreck of a Remington 40-X

An American Rifleman reader writes in about a project Remington 40-X .22 target rifle that needs some serious help.

New for 2026: KJI K950 Tripod and Titan Inverted Ball Head

KJI (formerly Kopfjäger) releases the carbon-fiber K950 tripod and Titan inverted-ball head.

Book Review | Guns, Shooting and Hunting: What I’ve Learned in 60 Years

Much of what one learns is truly inexpressible to others—so it’s a wonderful rarity when someone can put their knowledge into words.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.