The Armed Citizen® June 19, 2012

by
posted on June 19, 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 (2)

A man came to the door of Herschel Matheny, 82, and Jacqueline Hicks, 75, one morning and asked to use their telephone. When the man was given a phone to use, he reportedly stabbed Matheny in the chest and demanded money from Hicks. While giving the man the impression she was leaving the room to get money, Hicks retrieved a firearm instead and forced the man to leave. Matheny was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover. The suspect is at large. (The Southern Illinoisan, Herod, IL, 4/24/12)

The Armed Citizen Extra

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

It was nearly 10 p.m. in Wilkinsburg, Pa. when two young men approached a home on Montier Street and knocked on the door. The homeowner, upon seeing the two late-night visitors, retrieved a handgun from the bedroom and returned to the front door. The owner opened the door to hear his guests out and was greeted by the barrel of a shotgun. He opened fire first, striking the shotgun wielder and sending the accomplice fleeing down an embankment. The wounded intruder was taken to the hospital and his friend turned himself into police not long after. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pa.)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

June 1982: A youthful hoodlum leaped over the counter of Alma Harris' South San Diego, Calif., restaurant and attacked her. As he tried to strangle her with a telephone cord, she grabbed a revolver and shot him four times. The assailant fled, but only made it about a block before collapsing. (The Union, San Diego, Calif.)

Latest

Icarry Taurus TX9 Compact 1
Icarry Taurus TX9 Compact 1

I Carry: Taurus TX9 Compact in a Galco Holster

In our latest "I Carry" segment, we pair the new Taurus TX9 Compact with a leather Stow-N-Go holster from Galco, Inc. This compact, concealed-carry kit is rounded out with an Xolotl automatic knife produced by CRKT.

The Armed Citizen® March 13, 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.

Review: Canik USA MC9 Prime

Canik USA built out its concealed-carry handgun lineup with the MC9 Prime, which is a larger, yet still slim, CCW gun that sits in the same category as other upsized micro-compacts.

U.S. Army Awards Mossberg Contract for Additional 590A1 Pump-Action Shotguns

The U.S. Army has awarded O.F. Mossberg & Sons a contract for approximately $11.6 million dollars to supply the U.S. Army with additional Mossberg 590A1 pump-action shotguns.

250 Years of the U.S. Army: Bolt-Actions & Semi-Automatics on the Battlefield

In just a few decades, the U.S. Army would see itself go from a single-shot, blackpowder design in the form of the Trapdoor Springfield to a modern, semi-automatic fighting rifle in the M1 Garand.

Modernized & Economical Muzzleloaders: The CVA Optima XP & XP-SB

CVA's longest-lasting muzzleloader design, the Optima, has been updated in 2026 with "modern ergonomics and modularity."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.