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

Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1
Icarry Springfield Sa35 Polished 1

I Carry: Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished in a Falco C631 Gorham Holster

In our latest episode of "I Carry" above, we're taking a closer look at the details of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, and we're packaging it with a high-quality leather holster from Falco Holsters, along with a new EDC knife from Work Sharp.

ATF Suffers Major Cybersecurity Incident

On Aug. 27, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced that an outside group had breached its systems in what it termed a "major incident."

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 28, 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.

A Conversation About Gun-Making in America

Recently, a paper titled “The American Tradition of Self-Made Arms" written by Joe Greenlee, director of NRA-ILA's Office of Litigation Counsel,was cited by a court in an important ruling on frame-or-receiver litigation.

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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.