The Armed Citizen® November 18, 2016

by
posted on November 18, 2016
** 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 (4)

In Oregon, a 15-year-old boy taught a home intruder a lesson. The boy was home alone when he heard someone enter the abode. The teen retrieved a shotgun. When he saw the intruder, he fired and shot the man in the leg. “The juvenile was in fear of his safety, my initial conclusion is that the shooting…was a justifiable use of force,” said District Attorney Paul Frasier. (The World, Myrtle Point, OR, 8/6/16)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
A couple was in bed early one Sunday morning when the wife noticed their dogs reacting to something in the house. Assuming it was one of their children coming for a surprise visit, she didn’t think anything of it. Then, the bedroom door opened and a stranger appeared in the doorway. The wife and and her husband each retrieved guns, which they kept in the house, and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. Police later found a loaded 9 mm handgun in the perpetrator's jacket, which he allegedly placed on a couch before approaching the couple’s bedroom. “We have no idea what he wanted,” the woman said. “He was just staring at us.” Reports show that the man had a criminal record, which included jail time for attempted murder in 2001. The woman credits the Second Amendment for keeping them safe. (Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, 10/19/16)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
November 1970
Four youths, one carrying a gun, entered a San Jose, Calif., market and ordered the clerk, Lawrence Ruiz, to empty the cash register. Ruiz turned on one of the robbers only to be hit on the head with a hammer. During the melee a second clerk, Steven Scott, grabbed a rifle under the counter and stopped the attackers. Only one of the hoodlums managed to escape. (Mercury-News, San Jose, CA)

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 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.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.