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

Teddy Roosevelt Library 1
Teddy Roosevelt Library 1

Teddy Roosevelt Library to Display His Famed A.H. Fox Shotgun

The A.H. Fox F. Grade shotgun that accompanied Roosevelt on his 1909-1910 African safari, and later during his Amazon River expedition, will be on display when the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens on July 4, 2026.

CZ to Supply Pistols to the German Army

The Bundeswehr has selected a CZ pistol as its new standard-issue sidearm, a move the gun company hails as one of its most significant milestones.

The Lever Action Supreme Rifle: Henry's 21st Century Lever Gun

The Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle (LASR) is a step away from the company’s traditional-styled lever-actions, providing a number of features that carry the lever gun into the 21st century.

The Seekins Precision SIC: A Modular Rifle for Special Operations Use

Originally designed for a SOCOM military contract, the Seekins Precision SIC is designed for anyone who wants extreme long-range accuracy.

I Carry: Taurus TX9 Compact in a Galco Holster

In our latest "I Carry" segment, we pair the new Taurus TX9 Compact with a leather Stow-N-Go holster from Galco, Inc. This compact, concealed-carry kit is rounded out with an Xolotl automatic knife produced by CRKT.

The Armed Citizen® March 13, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.