An 81-year-old veteran pulled out a deer rifle and turned the table on a pair of robbers over the weekend.
Police said Howard "Buck" Buckner fell victim to a common ploy robbers use in an attempt to get inside of a home.
The robbers faked an emergency, claiming their car had broken down and that they needed to use a phone.
But when Buckner turned to get a phone, the robbers attacked, police said.
"So he stepped inside, pulled out a gun and said, 'Turn off the light and back up. This is a robbery!'" Buckner said.
Buckner said the robbers paraded him through his home at gunpoint in a search for his wallet.
"He kept saying he was going to pistol-whip me if I didn't find that wallet," Buckner said.
When Buckner could not find his wallet in the kitchen, they took him to his bedroom and left to continue searching the house.
Buckner picked up his gun and fired three shots from his bedroom, scaring off the robbers.
"They left," he said. "They left in a hurry."
"I just reached in and grabbed my gun," Buckner said. "I hadn't fired it since 1960."
He wasn't sure if the gun would go off, but it didn't let him down.
"I pulled that trigger, and it worked," Buckner said.
The robbers got away with Buckner's laptop and a jacket that had his hearing aid in a pocket.
But for now, Buckner and his family are just relieved he is fine.
Buckner said he may go back living as he did while serving in Korea, a time when he slept with his gun.
Police said if someone comes to the door claiming an emergency, a resident should call 911 and not let anyone inside. They also urge any victim to comply with a robber's demands to avoid getting hurt.
The robbers damaged Buckner's fence during their getaway. They are still on the loose.
KCRA.com contributed to this report.
