The Armed Citizen® March 24, 2025

by
posted on March 24, 2025
** 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. **
The Armed Citizen

Armed Citizen® Today

A violent, late-night home invasion in Rio Rancho, N.M., was stopped by an armed homeowner, according to local police.

Just before midnight, officers responded to calls of a shot being fired during a home invasion. An investigation revealed that all the occupants of the home, two adults and three children, were asleep when an unknown suspect violently kicked the front door of the house multiple times, eventually forcing his way inside. Upon hearing the noise, the homeowner armed himself and went to investigate the noise, finding the suspect inside the house. The man fired a single shot, which hit the suspect in the torso, stopping the intrusion.

The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. The homeowner was released, and an investigation is ongoing. (KRQE News; Rio Rancho, N.M.; 1/27/25)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – January 1986

Crouching in the bedroom of her Sacramento, Calif. apartment, Judith Scott heard burglars break down two doors as they tried to elude the police who interrupted their burglary of her adjoining video store.

As they approached her room, Scott opened fire and wounded one. The burglars were arrested. Scott, who had been robbed and her store burglarized previously, had taken a firearm course offered by Sacramento police. (The Union, Sacramento, Calif.)

Latest

Hk Cc9 GOTW 1
Hk Cc9 GOTW 1

Gun of the Week: Heckler & Koch CC9

The Heckler & Koch CC9 isn't merely just another micro-compact. It's the result of a significant amount of work on the part of the company's US subsidiary to create the first truly American-made HK.

The Armed Citizen® May 22, 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.

Political Report | Braced Pistols’ Status Unresolved

The U.S. Supreme Court has characterized handguns as the “quintessential” Second Amendment arm. Pistol braces increase accuracy and ease of operation for large-format handguns, especially for users suffering from physical disabilities.

The PROOF Research PXT: A New Approach to Barrel Rifling

PROOF Research has introduced PROOF eXponential Twist (PXT)—an advancement in rifling that improves durability, accuracy and shootability—to the commercial market.

Review: Springfield Armory Model 2020 Heatseeker

Back when American Rifleman reviewed Springfield's Model 2020 Waypoint, we noted that we ...couldn’t help but wonder if a tactical-version Model 2020 rifle might be a logical future offshoot of the Waypoint hunting rifle." With the Model 2020 Heatseeker, that version is finally here.

Marlin Goes Mad: The Marlin Mad Pig Customs Model 1894

Marlin’s latest Model 1894 lever-action rifle, a collaboration with Mad Pig Customs that is a far cry from traditional, delivers “modern, factory‑installed features previously found only on custom builds.”

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.