The Armed Citizen® March 4, 2019

by
posted on March 4, 2019
** 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. **
armed-citizen-main-image.jpg (1)

Comfortably asleep in their beds late at night, a married couple was awakened by the agitated growling of their dogs at the back door. The Warren, Ohio, couple then heard the unmistakable sound of someone breaking in. Springing into action, the homeowner grabbed his pistol and ran to take cover by the refrigerator. The burglar broke into the house and was confronted by the homeowner shouting, “I have a gun!” Ignoring the warning, the intruder came at the armed citizen, who shouted his warning again before taking aim and firing his gun, shooting the suspect in the arm. He ordered the interloper to get down onto the floor while his wife called the police. Officers arrived to find and arrest the intruder—who has a lengthy criminal record—on charges of breaking and entering. (Tribune Chronicle, Warren, Ohio, 11/21/18)

The Armed Citizen Extra
A legally armed citizen stepped in to end a case of road rage that seemed straight out of a Hollywood action film. As the armed citizen drove home from work on the Massachusetts Turnpike one Friday, he looked over to see a 65-year old man holding onto the hood of a speeding SUV, which was later determined to have been traveling at around 70 mph. The man sprang into action, boxing the SUV in with his car in stopped traffic and ushering the driver out at gunpoint until police arrived, before he could speed off again. (necn.com, Newton, MA, 01/29/2019)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
March 1968
A youthful gunman made the mistake of announcing his intention to hold up Fowler's Pharmacy in Greenville, S.C. while his pistol was still in his pocket. Before he could draw, pharmacist Eugene Estes grabbed a .38 revolver from beneath the counter and shot him. (The Greenville, S.C., News)

Latest

Federal Premium 7Mm Backcountry Artv 1
Federal Premium 7Mm Backcountry Artv 1

Behind Federal's 7 mm Backcountry Cartridge

In 2025, Federal Ammunition introduced its new 7 mm Backcountry cartridge, which operates at higher pressures than any previous commercial ammunition offering.

New for 2026: Beretta 94X Performance

The latest step in the evolution of Beretta's 90 series of handguns is the 94X Performance, a handgun that the company calls “the ultimate evolution of the Beretta competition pistol for IPSC and USPSA.”

Review: Spandau Arms RL

The Remington Model 700 lives on in the form of this RL bolt-action rifle produced in Turkey by Huglu and imported into the U.S. by Spandau Arms.

NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award Applications Open

The NRA is accepting applications for the 2027 NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award from junior shooting sports participants who demonstrate active involvement in their communities and in shooting sports.

The (Not So) Gray Man: Tips to Avoid Tacti-Cool & Blend into the Background

Being a true "gray man" is not flashy. It won’t get you followers or likes or nods from across the room. What it will get you is something far more valuable in the real world: freedom of movement. Reduced attention. Lower probability of being selected, targeted or remembered.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 28, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.