The Armed Citizen® October 1, 2013

by
posted on October 1, 2013
** 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

Jan Cooper, 72, was at home with her husband, Bob, 85, when she made a 911 call for help as a man attempted to break into their home. She told police to hurry as the assailant was on her back porch trying to gain entry through a sliding door. She told the police that she was armed with a .357 revolver and that she would shoot if need be. When she heard the door sliding open, she fired. The intruder fled, but was later found and arrested for burglary. "I don't mean to shoot anybody," said Cooper, "but whatever's necessary to literally stop them--he was not going to come into my home." (Foxnews.com, Anaheim, CA, 6/12/13)

Richard Duffy, 48, and his son were watching TV when an intruder broke down their front door. After a brief altercation the intruder was fatally shot, according to a spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety. Another man waited in a car, but fled after he heard the gunshots. (TheBlaze.com, Rome, ME, 10/1/13)

From The Armed Citizen Archives

March 1979: When Claudia Gray entered her El Paso apartment she was jumped by a man wearing only a stocking mask and a t-shirt. After the attacker and wrestled her to the bed, Gray warned him that she was expecting company. He got up and went to lock the front door, whereupon she grabbed a .22 cal. rifle from beneath the bed and shot him twice. After the police arrived and made the arrest, the previously convicted burglar was sentenced to seven years in the state penitentiary. (The Times, El Paso, Tex.)

Latest

Shotshell Basics
Shotshell Basics

Shotshell Basics: Understanding Payloads, Pressures & Performance

A shotgun can be supremely versatile, depending on how it’s loaded. Understanding how shotshells work is difficult, but crucial.

Rock River Arms Celebrates 30 Years in Business

While the company's beginnings go back to 1994, the Rock River Arms story officially started in 1996, meaning that it is celebrating 30 years in business in 2026.

Review: Daniel Defense H9

Is the third time the charm? Daniel Defense has introduced a third version of the Hudson H9 pistol. Smaller, lighter and less radical, it could be “the one.”

Supreme Plus: Ranger Point Precision & Line49 Rifle Henry LASR Conversions

A new collaboration between modern lever-action specialists Ranger Point Precision and Line49 Rifle transforms Henry’s groundbreaking Lever Action Supreme Rifle.

The Armed Citizen® June 15, 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.

NRA Launches "ARC Across America" National Challenge

The National Rifle Association is inviting Americans, coast-to-coast, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States—and the freedom for which it stands—by exercising their rights by participating in the "ARC Across America" National Challenge.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.