The Armed Citizen® March 3, 2025

by
posted on March 3, 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

An alleged thief is dead after attempting to break into an occupied vehicle in Fort Myers, Fla., in December 2024.

Police arrived on scene early in the morning, finding the suspect lying in front of a local house. An investigation revealed that the suspect had attempted to break into five other vehicles in the neighborhood before approaching the occupied car. The driver of the vehicle was sitting inside, preparing to leave for work, when the suspect opened the driver's door. A fight broke out between the two, and the driver drew a firearm, shot the suspect and then called the police.

"Everyone deserves to feel safe on their own property," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a release. "The homeowner exercised their right to protect themself, which unfortunately resulted in the loss of a life today." (Fort Myers News-Press; Fort Myers, Fla.; 12/14/24)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – October 1962

The husband of Mrs. Margaret Byars of San Mateo, Fla., was away at work when Mrs. Byars became aware that there was a prowler in her backyard. The stranger first yelled for her to open a door and then proceeded to break it down. 

In the meantime, Mrs. Byars had gotten a rifle. As the would-be intruder smashed through the door, she fired three times. The prowler promptly vanished. (San Mateo Times)

 

 

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1
Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1

Gun of the Week: Wilson Combat Bulwark

Wilson Combat has long been known for its custom work on 1911-style designs, but the company also develops its own firearms, and one of its latest in-house creations is the new Bulwark.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 4, 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.

NFA Wait Times Continue to Drop

In early 2021, it took the ATF about 280 days to process a Form 4 NFA transfer. In August 2026, using the recently implemented eForms system, that wait time had dropped to only nine days.

Pelican Air Carry-on Case Review

An industry staple just made air travel more convenient.

The ROSE Program by SIG Sauer: Empowering Women in Shooting Sports Across the Nation

The ROSE Program is a shooting program created specifically for women. It aims to create a community of women in shooting that can learn about shooting and self-defense.

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49

Despite being early adopters of several semi-automatic rifles for military use, the French army took several decades to work out a standardized semi-automatic rifle for general service use. The rifle that finally came to being was the MAS-49.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.