The Armed Citizen® May 5, 2017

by
posted on May 5, 2017
** 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 lover’s spat could have turned lethal if not for the efforts of an armed citizen. The ex-boyfriend of an employee came into the 39-year-old’s workplace and began to harass the woman. The offender punched the woman several times before throwing her to the ground. A customer saw the commotion and helped. His intervention made the woman’s ex angry, and he attacked the armed citizen, trying to grab the man’s gun. The Good Samaritan fired twice at the suspect, who was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. (Holland Sentinel, Holland, MI, 2/24/17)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Late one night, three masked and armed teenagers broke through a back glass door of a home. The homeowner’s son, who was asleep in his room, heard the commotion and grabbed an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Upon confronting the three intruders, he opened fire, killing all three. The homeowner’s son then barricaded himself in his room and called 9-1-1. A young woman, who dropped the three burglars off at the home, is being charged for three complaints of first-degree murder because the deaths of her accomplices occurred while she was in commission of a felony, one count of first-degree burglary and another for second-degree burglary. The homeowner’s son is not being charged. (Tulsa World, Wagoner, OK, 4/4/17) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
May 1981
John and Deby Matthews were asleep early one morning in their Las Cruces, N.M., home when they heard the sounds of cabinet doors opening and closing. John leaped from bed and tackled the intruder, while Deby grabbed a 12-ga. shotgun and followed behind. They held a youthful housebreaker until police arrived. (The Sun-News, Las Cruces, NM)

Latest

lever-action rifles
lever-action rifles

America’s Lever Revolution

America is known across the world as a nation of gun owners, but only one firearm action has the distinction of being uniquely American: the lever-action.

Power Package: The Springfield Armory Heatseeker Pistol

Springfield Armory is jumping into the bolt-action handgun market with its new-for-2026 Heatseeker pistol, which is based on the company's Model 2020 rifle action.

The Armed Citizen® July 6, 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.

Weatherby Goes Black Powder: The Model 307 MZY

As Weatherby's first entry into the muzzleloading category, the Model 307 MZY promises to “deliver a new standard of accuracy, reliability, and consistency for black powder hunters.”

First Look: Federal’s X Henry 250th Collection

Federal has officially begun shipping its Federal X Henry Collector’s Edition ammunition, created in partnership with Henry Repeating Arms.

An Independence Day Celebration of the Armed Citizen

Independence Day is a celebration of armed defiance to tyranny—and of the citizen’s right to defend their lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.