The Armed Citizen® March 14, 2012

by
posted on March 14, 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

Tim Patterson was cooking at The Big Yellow Mobile Kitchen as he did every day when he heard a scream coming from the parking lot of a nearby Goodwill store. He rushed toward the cries for help and didn’t hesitate to draw his Kimber 1911 .45 when he saw that a man had grabbed hold of a woman and had a knife to her throat. “Drop it or I’ll shoot you!” Patterson warned. The assailant immediately released the woman, dropped the knife, raised his arms and fled. The victim, a Goodwill employee who was carrying a bank deposit in her purse at the time of the attempted robbery, was not injured. (Coeur d’Alene Press, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 11/30/11)

The Armed Citizen Extra

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

A pregnant California homeowner saw two men enter her home one morning, but couldn't get to a phone, so instead she grabbed a handgun to defend herself. When she came face-to-face with the intruders, she ordered them to flee, saying she didn't want to have to shoot them. The men advanced toward her and she fired a shot, missing the suspects but causing them to flee. Police were in pursuit of the men when this went to press. (The Times Standard, Eureka, CA, 01/26/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archive

March 1975: While Dan Cassin was stacking shelves in his Atlanta, Ga., store, two robbers rushed in, fired at least one shot, and then started thrashing the store cleanup man. Cassin immediately pulled out his cal. .38 pistol and shot one intruder to death. "They came in like storm troopers, shooting and beating people," Cassin said. "I just couldn't stand and watch." (The South Middlesex News, Framingham, Mass.)

Latest

Taurus TX22 Brace 01
Taurus TX22 Brace 01

Stable Fun: The Taurus Brace-Ready TX22

Taurus USA first adopted the ideal of a brace-ready format for a traditional handgun in its GX4 Strike Bravo, and now, the company is extending that concept to its TX22 rimfire handgun.

I Have This Old Gun: The Whitney Navy Revolver

One of the lesser-known revolvers from the Civil War era, the Whitney Navy revolver had several notable features and even inspired a copycat in the Confederacy.

Standing Guard | A Midterm Case for Freedom

Being right isn’t inevitably a winning argument. If it were, the gun-control left would never win again, as all the data shows that arresting and prosecuting criminals, not going after law-abiding citizens’ guns, is what makes violent crime drop.

Resisting the Temptation of "Good Enough" for Firearm Performance

No matter what firearm you're using for whatever purpose, even if it's simply a trip to the range, always resist the temptation to accept “good enough” if there is the possibility of better performance.

Armed Citizens Stop a Lot More Criminals Than Most in the Media Will Admit

Since January 2025, the Crime Prevention Research Center has documented 16 defensive gun uses in which police say armed citizens stopped mass public killings.

Federal & Mossberg Collaborate on Autonomous Airborne Drone Defense

Federal and Mossberg are working with Palladyne AI in the creation of SwarmShot, a kinetic defense system that employs swarms of armed drones to shield troops from unmanned aircraft system threats.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.