The Armed Citizen® May 12, 2011

by
posted on May 12, 2011
** 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 (1)

A couple in their sixties were awakened by loud, repeated banging on their apartment door. They went downstairs and the husband opened the door-and an intoxicated 28-year-old man pushed them aside and entered the home. The suspect shoved the husband and repeatedly claimed to live in the apartment, ignoring the couple's insistence to the contrary. The couple tried to push the man back out the door, but he punched the man in the groin and shoved the woman. That's when the husband informed the intruder he had a gun and would shoot him if he didn't leave; however, the intruder remained relentless in his assault. The husband fired a shot, killing him. (Lansing State Journal, Lansing, MI, 02/05/11)

The Armed Citizen Extra

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

A 20-year-old New Orleans homeowner awoke to the sound of shattering glass in the middle of the night. Little did he know, two would-be burglars had cut the power to his house and thrown a brick into a downstairs window. When the homeowner found the two men climbing through the window, he opened fire, hitting both of them. The two-who were 16 and 15 years old-were unable to flee the scene due to their injuries. The 16-year-old male was killed, and the other was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. (The Times Picayune, New Orleans, LA, 02/12/11)

From The Armed Citizen Archive:

May 1980: Two ex-convict brothers ended up a criminal spree of burglary, robbery, abduction, and rape by beating on the door of L.C. Mitchell in Bothell, Wash., and demanding gasoline from the owner. Mitchell repulsed the felons with a double-derringer, wounding one in the neck before they fled in their car. The sherriff's office arrested the pair after identification was made from the mug file. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

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.