The Armed Citizen® October 2, 2017

by
posted on October 2, 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

Early one Saturday morning, a homeowner and his wife received a shocking wake-up call. Two intruders entered their home just after 3 a.m. The woman and 14-month-old baby retreated to a back room as the man confronted both home invaders with a hammer. Struggling against them, the man ran outside to his car and managed to retrieve his firearm. He returned to the house and shot at both of them. “The only thing going through my mind is if they do something to me there’s nobody…to protect my wife and son,” he told a local media outlet. Both intruders were taken to the hospital after police arrived at the home. (Cincinnati.com, Columbia Township, OH, 7/22/17) 

The Armed Citizen® Extra
One morning a homeowner went to check on her vacant rental property and was surprised to discover a man hiding in the basement behind a clothes dryer. Armed with a handgun, the homeowner held the intruder at gunpoint and learned there was a second intruder, who tried to flee while the homeowner called he police. He was later apprehended. Both trespassers were charged with second-degree burglary, attempted petit larceny and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Additionally, the second burglar was charged with resisting arrest. (The Post-Journal, Lakewood, NY, 6/8/17)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
October 1958
A prowler who gained entrance to the second-floor porch of an East Side Cleveland home by using the roof of his car as a ladder, panicked when Phyllis Stewart, 14, saw him in her room and screamed. Her father, Donley Stewart, roused by the noise, grabbed his rifle and caught the fleeing intruder in the driveway. Stewart, 38, held the intruder at rifle point until the police arrived. (Cleveland News, Cleveland, OH)

Latest

Smith Wesson Model 29 10 Facts 1
Smith Wesson Model 29 10 Facts 1

10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About The Smith & Wesson Model 29

Without a doubt, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 is one of the 20th century’s most shootable, collectible "superstar" revolvers. Here are a few little-known facts about the gun.

Packable Punch: Discreet Ways to Carry More Firepower

While folding and takedown firearms chambered for full-power rifle cartridges may be niche defensive tools, the dark situations in which they shine brightest aren’t going away anytime soon.

Southpaw Solution: Ruger Introduces Left-Handed American Gen II Ranch Rifles

Traditionally, Ruger has offered a range of left-handed rifle models for the southpaws among us, and now, the company's Gen II American rifles are available in a left-handed variant, starting with the Ranch models.

Gun of the Week: Kimber 1911 DS Warrior LW

In 2026, Kimber developed its 1911 DS Warrior, an American-made, double-stack design that is intended to be an affordable entry point into Kimber's double-stack handgun line.

The Armed Citizen® April 24, 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.

Spin Difference: The Impact of Barrel Twist Rates on Terminal Performance

When most shooters think of rifling-twist rates, they mostly think of rifles with their high BC projectiles, but the rpm of a bullet also plays a part in terminal performance.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.