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

2026 New Suppressor Guide
2026 New Suppressor Guide

New Suppressors for 2026: A Full Guide

With the removal of the $200 NFA tax stamp on suppressors, the only sound reverberating across the firearms landscape is “cha-ching.”

MDT Now Offering Lone Peak Arms Rifle Actions

Earlier in 2026, MDT announced that it had acquired Lone Peak Arms, and now, the company's rifle actions are available to consumers.

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 31, 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.

NRA-ILA Launches First-Ever National “Gun Bus Battleground Tour” to Mobilize Gun Owners for 2026 Midterms

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today launched its first-ever national bus tour, the 2026 NRA’s Gun Bus Battleground Tour, a more than two-month, 13-state campaign to energize and turn out gun owners in key battleground states ahead of the November midterm elections.

Review: TriStar KR.22

Manufactured by Kral Arms in Turkey, the TriStar Arms KR.22 is a lightweight semi-automatic that offers everything you need to get started or to perfect what you’ve learned over the years.

Safe Space: 5 Must-Have Accessories to Organize Your Gun Safe

It's a perennial problem for gun owners: not enough safe space. Here are five organizing products that will help you squeeze a bit more in your existing gun safe before you have to run out and buy another.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.