The Armed Citizen® September 1, 2017

by
posted on September 1, 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

Three Florida teens who thought it would be a good idea to ambush a food delivery driver learned a hard lesson. Police say the teens called in the order and gave an address of an abandoned house in Jacksonville. They entered the home to wait for the food. When the meal arrived, the hooligans answered the door and held the man at gunpoint and demanded his money. The deliveryman instead kicked at one of the teens to cause enough of a distraction to draw his Glock. He fired several shots, hitting at least one of the miscreants. Two have been arrested and the other was being sought. “Is the money really worth it?” one witness asked the suspects rhetorically through the media. “Y’all planned to kill someone over $200?” (news4jax, Jacksonville, FL, 6/21/17)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Late one night, a homeowner was awakened by the sounds of someone kicking in the front door of his house and his wife screaming for help. The homeowner immediately retrieved his handgun and ran downstairs to protect his wife. He saw that the intruder had broken in and was approaching him with a piece of wood. At that point, the homeowner fired one shot, hitting the trespasser. The wife then called 9-1-1. The criminal was hospitalized and faces charges including burglary and simple assault. According to police, “The homeowner took action that he thought was necessary to protect himself, his wife and their home. Fortunately, they were not injured.” (York Daily Record, Lancaster, PA, 6/5/17)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
September 1961
Two 16-year-old boys, in a stolen pickup truck and armed with a shotgun, came to James F. Dittmore’s general store and gas station and forced the Verona, Calif., proprietor to lie on the floor while they took money from his wallet and the cash register. They were unable to operate the gas pump when they tried fueling the truck, and made Dittmore help them. When an arriving car gave him the chance, Dittmore ran back to the store, grabbed a cal. .30-30 rifle, and came back shooting. He shot one dead and clubbed the other over the head with the rifle. (Las Vegas Sun, Verona, CA)

Latest

Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special 1
Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special 1

The Model 87 Ultra Special: A Rare Survivor of Ithaca's Final Gamble

In the spring of 1990, an 18-year-old received a shotgun he didn't order. The Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special he got instead was the last gasp of one of America's most iconic shotgun makers.

As Gun Sales Stay High, Violent Crime Hits a Historic Low

According to a recent report from the FBI on national crime statistics, violent crime has decreased 9.3 percent from 2024, marking the largest year-to-year drop since the 1930s.

Five Million Friends

From one room of friends in Missouri to a nationwide movement, Friends of NRA celebrates more than five million lives touched through community, volunteerism, and a shared commitment to the future of the shooting sports.

Federal to Provide Rifle Ammunition to Top Nordic Police Agencies

The Nordic Police, comprised of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, recently selected two Federal Ammunition rifle loads for duty and training use.

New For 2026: Beretta APX A1 Ported

Beretta first entered the polymer-frame, striker-fired pistol market in 2017 with its APX, and nearly 10 years later, the company has added the APX A1 Ported to the lineup.

CDC Restores Basic Armed Citizen Data

As of Aug. 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage is again providing defensive-gun-use data.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.