The Armed Citizen® September 3, 2018

by
posted on September 3, 2018
** 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

Why would a stranger break into a home and start beating a pre-teen? Perhaps the better question is what did he expect to happen afterward? A man in South Carolina discovered the answer to the second question the hard way. The boy’s father, hearing a commotion in the middle of the night, entered his son’s bedroom with a gun at the ready. The armed citizen held the intruder at gunpoint until the authorities, alerted to the break-in by a security system, arrived. The intruder appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs—which could well be an answer to the first question. (wach.com, Columbia, SC, 5/29/18) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
A woman was sitting on her front porch smoking a cigarette around 1 a.m. when two men, claiming to be from the DEA, rushed her, tried to handcuff her and held a gun to her head. The woman screamed for her mother, who was asleep upstairs with three children. When the mother came downstairs, one of the intruders pointed a gun at her too. When the two men tried to drag the younger woman out of the house, her brother, who lives next door, came to the rescue. One of the armed men shot the brother, hitting him in the neck, but the brother returned fire striking one of the intruders, killing him. The remaining attacker dragged his accomplice to the porch, then left him and ran from the scene. He is still being sought on multiple charges. The brother was taken to a hospital where he is expected to recover. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Alquippa, PA, 7/18/18) 

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
September 1982
Rev. Charles White, 67, thought the man who had come to his Philadelphia church wanted counseling. But what he really wanted was cash, he said, as he drew a gun on the Baptist clergyman. But the cleric pulled a .25 instead of loot and killed the would-be robber with a shot to the chest. (The Tribune, Chicago, IL)

Latest

Franchi Momentum MULE rifle
Franchi Momentum MULE rifle

New for 2026: Franchi Momentum Mule Rifle

Franchi’s do-it-all MULE rifle is designed as a general-purpose carbine.

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson Spec Series M&P9 and R Handguns

Smith & Wesson expands its Spec series with the Spec Series IV M&P9 M2.0 Metal Compact pistol and the Spec Series R revolver.

New for 2026: Henry Provider and Protector Rifles

For 2026, Henry adds two new product families, one designed for hunting, the other for protection.

Gun Of The Week: Daniel Defense DDPCC 9 mm Carbine

Daniel Defense's pistol-caliber carbine, the DDPCC, offers AR-15-style operation in a more budget-friendly caliber.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 23, 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.

New for 2026: Stoeger STR-45 Combat Pistol

For 2026, Stoeger adds the .45 ACP chambering to its Combat line of STR handguns.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.