The Cell Phone

posted on May 7, 2013
** 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. **
rackley2015_fs.jpg (1)

The best self-defense tool to come out since the handgun is the cell phone. Hear me out before you start screaming or burning me in effigy, OK? Believe me, I was one of the last holdouts on cell phones because I pictured an electronic collar, tracking me, knowing everywhere I went. But regardless of my paranoia issues, I now consider a cell phone as second in importance of daily carry gear. No. 1 is my Kimber.

For many a cell is the primary self-defense tool, even if they don’t consider it that way, as it is the only way they have to call the police for protection. For concealed-carry advocates, it is even more important.

If you ever have to draw your handgun in a defensive situation, you want to be the person on the phone to the police to provide details about the event. Witnesses will probably also be calling police, but if all they see is a person holding a gun without understanding the reason, their version might not be accurate through no fault of their own. They are only telling what they see.

You can also use your phone to take photos of the scene to document the situation. This could provide important information to the police for the investigation, and prove that you were in the right. This is especially important to show that the attacker had a weapon, because if it disappears due to friends of the assailant walking it away, you could end up in the defense chair, rather than the witness chair, during a trial.

Many consider a cell phone to be a useful item for games, music and to stay in contact with friends and family, and it is, but for those who refuse to be a victim, it is so much more.

Latest

trench.jpg
trench.jpg

The Fighting Shotgun: Myths, Legends & Facts

For a host of reasons, the Winchester Model 1897 "trench gun" probably never really made it into combat on the Western Front. But, the fact remains that Americans have always revered the shotgun as the ultimate fight-stopper.

Leupold Celebrates USA 250th With Limited-Edition "Mark 250" Riflescope Package

Leupold has commissioned a Limited-Edition Mark 250 Riflescope Package to commemorate the United States semiquincentennial, and it is now available exclusively through Scheels.

A Successful Friends of the NRA Dinner at Compton Hunting & Fishing Club

On Saturday, June 20, 2026, the Compton Hunting & Fishing Club in Southern California hosted another outstanding Friends of the NRA dinner.

President Trump Touts the NRA and National Concealed Carry Reciprocity

At the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pa., President Donald Trump reiterated his support for the National Rifle Association as well as his support for national right-to-carry legislation.

Rifleman Review: Savage Arms Revel Classic

Offered as an affordable, rimfire, takedown design, the Savage Arms Revel line of lever-actions has expanded to include several popular chamberings, as well as a deluxe version.

A Modernized Classic: Chiappa's S.A. 1873 Black Thunder

Italian manufacturer Chiappa makes an interesting mix of historical designs, modern firearms and guns that combine both of those elements into one. In the latter category is the S.A. 1873 Black Thunder .44 Magnum revolver.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.