The Armed Citizen® October 19, 2014

by
posted on October 19, 2014
ac2009_fs.jpg (3)

Hugh Mathis, a 92-year-old WWII veteran, and his wife, Ruby, 89, opened the door when a young man they knew from their neighborhood knocked. The young man had previously done odd jobs for the couple, including mowing their lawn and shoveling snow. He asked to use the Mathis’ telephone. Once inside, the man pulled a knife on Mr. Mathis and demanded money. Mrs. Mathis quickly went to the bedroom where they kept a firearm. When she returned, the would-be robber fled through the front door. He was later arrested and held on three counts of aggravated robbery. (WLWT News 5, Springfield Township, Ohio, 4/10/14)

On June 24, at about 11 a.m., there was an attempted robbery at the Jim Anderson Jewelers in Flagstaff, Ariz. A man entered the store and told the owner that he wanted to look at a tray of engagement rings and asked her if she was alone. She lied and said she wasn’t. Soon the suspect pulled out a gun and tried to get the owner to go to the back of the store to open the safe, but the owner wouldn’t do it. The gunman ordered her to the ground. A customer walked in and the owner shouted for the customer to leave. The gunman left and another suspect came into the store. But while she was alone in the store, the owner armed herself with a gun. When the suspects  returned the owner fired a shot. The suspect who had grabbed jewelry threw all of it into the air and jumped through a glass window to escape. The other suspects fled. The owner of the store was slightly injured but was treated and released and has since returned to work. Detectives are reportedly working with investigators from other agencies to solve this and other robberies in the area. Flagstaff Police Chief Kevin Treadway declined to give any information, but he did say that the case was quickly coming to a conclusion and further news in the case would be forthcoming. (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, Ariz., 8/29/14)

From The Armed Citizen® Archives 
June 1971: Mrs. Keith Boyce and her nine-month-old baby were alone in their secluded home near Tulsa, Okla., one night when a stranger pulled his car into the back yard.  Twice burglarized in the preceding 12 months, Mrs. Boyce didn’t open the door at his knock.  Instead, she waited quietly inside, holding her baby with one hand and a .22 pistol with the other.  When the man kicked in another door and entered the home, the young mother fired several times, wounding the intruder fatally. (The Tulsa Daily World, Tulsa, Okla.)

Latest

Elbert Searle Protype Pistol 1
Elbert Searle Protype Pistol 1

Elbert Searle's Prototype Savage Squeeze-Cocker Pistol

Elbert Searle isn't one of the most well-known firearm designers, but his Savage Model 1907 and its derivatives were popular guns in their time. Now, a unique prototype pistol of his has been discovered, illustrating what else could have been in Savage's early 20th-century handgun lineup.

Spring Sales, Savings & Sweepstakes Ongoing

Special incentives from Hornady, Smith & Wesson and Beretta have already been come and gone, but they were just the first. Things have accelerated since.

I Have This Old Gun: Terry Carbine

One of the most interesting, and short-lived, breechloading designs of the mid-19th century is the Terry carbine, produced by the firm of Calisher & Terry. Despite its novel mechanism, the carbine didn't survive the transition to the metallic-cartridge era.

Favorite Firearms: A Birthday Gift From Dad

When I was growing up, my father was one of the bigger Smith & Wesson collectors in Northern California. This led him to have an acquaintance with Roy Jinks of S&W.

Make Mine Metal: The Alloy-Frame KelTec P15

When KelTec introduced its P15 at the 2022 SHOT Show, it had two models on display. One is the polymer-frame handgun that the accompanying review focuses on, and the second is nearly identical, except that its frame is rendered in aluminum alloy.

Product Preview: Cold Steel Engage 3.5"

Cold Steel offers its Engage EDC knife with a larger 3.5"-long blade made from durable, wear-resistant S35VN stainless steel.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.