The Armed Citizen® January 10, 2020

by
posted on January 10, 2020
** 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. **
armed-citizen-main-image.jpg (2)

While tending to his chickens at 7:30 p.m. in Maryland on Nov. 7, 2019, a man heard his French bulldog frantically barking inside his home. Upon entering the house, the homeowner saw two men allegedly attacking his fiancée. He loaded a 12-gauge shotgun from 1940 with buckshot and chased the two intruders outside, where he shot one man in the legs, while the other fled on foot. The armed citizen used the shotgun to defend himself, his fiancée and his property.

Anne Arundel County Police called the incident a home invasion. They arrested the suspect who fled and charged him with multiple offenses while the injured suspect received medical treatment. The fiancée was pistol-whipped and punched, requiring stitches in her head. According to police, the one suspect allegedly disclosed that he and his accomplice entered the home while armed with a pellet gun. (capitalgazette.com, Annapolis, Md., 11/7/2019; wbaltv.com and baltimore.cbslocal.com, both from Baltimore, Md., 11/8/2019)

Armed Citizen Extra
The old adage states that "no good deed goes unpunished." Fortunately, armed citizens have a little more control over the outcome of their good deeds. When a Good Samaritan approached a man who had been hit by a car with the intention of helping him out, the injured man produced a boxcutter and went after him, as well as another man who had come to help. This prompted an about-face for the Good Samaritan, who was forced to draw his sidearm and shoot the man in the leg. (tampabay.com, Largo, Fla., 4/13/2019)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives (January 1972)
A holdup man in Francisco Collazo's Chicago, Ill., grocery store aimed his gun at Collazo's wife and pulled the trigger twice because his demands for cash were not met. The revolver misfired both rimes. Collazo pulled his own revolver and killed the robber. (The Chicago Daily News, Chicago, Ill.)

Latest

Robinson Armament Xcrl Gotw 1
Robinson Armament Xcrl Gotw 1

Gun of the Week: Robinson Armament XCR-L

One man, Alex Robinson, took it upon himself to address what he saw as several shortcomings in the AR-15 design. He consulted with special forces operators and asked what they wanted in a rifle platform. The result was the Robinson Armament XCR.

Maryland Bans Glocks and the NRA Responds

Legislation recently signed into law by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore essentially bans nearly every Glock and Glock-style pistol on the market from being sold within the state.

The Armed Citizen® May 29, 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.

Federal Signs Agreement With U.S. Army to Improve Ammo Performance

Federal Ammunition announced this week that it has entered into an agreement that allows the U.S. Army to utilize its patented Peak Alloy ammunition case technology for use in multiple cartridges and weapon systems.

Four Armed Citizen Stories That Tell us a Lot

Each self-defense case is different. As we read them, we find ourselves wondering what we would have done, and then asking if the citizen made the best decisions possible in the worst-case scenario.

The Three Rs of Performance Shooting: Rise, Return & Realignment

Way back in the day, the three Rs of learning were colloquially known as "Readin’, Rightin’ and Rithmatic." In today's modern performance shooting, the three Rs become Rise, Return and Realignment, the core mechanics of recoil control.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.