Why does the name Cassandra kept popping up in my head? Grumpy
Seen above is the map of Flock camera’s that have been verified in operation across that nation, provided by Deflock.org. Readers who visit the organization’s website and visit the map page can zoom into and locate the devices in any city in the continental United States, down to the street level.
Image courtesy of Deflock.org
Leonardo, a company that holds multiple surveillance-related defense and government contracts, recently introduced ELSAG SignalTrace, and its hardware is being offered as a bolt-on supplement to the more than 110,000 Flock cameras taking and storing photos of vehicles on public roadways nationwide. The technology contained within that hardware could conceivably track who has recently purchased a firearm and where they’re taking it.
The SignalTrace webpage explains the system can detect cellphone manufacturer and make, audio system in the vehicle, smartwatches, wireless ear buds and more. Tire pressure monitors, laptops and iPads are also included as part of the “electronic fingerprint.” According to analysis by TechRepublic, this even includes those popular microchips used to reunite lost pets with their owner, along with RFID signals from tags used by many retailers for inventory convenience.
Enough FFLs use such RFID technology that the National Shooting Sports Foundation published a “Best Practices” bulletin five years before Leonardo’s introduction. The trade organization’s advice is straightforward.
“Our position can be summarized simply as ‘Turn It Off, Take It Off at the Checkout Counter.’” Failure to do so today could mean that, at the very least, that gun you’re taking home from the store could be identified and included in your “digital fingerprint.” Consider inspecting the firearm and all packaging after making a purchase and before ever leaving the store to be sure you’ve removed all possible identifying information.
Information collected by SignalTrace is transmitted into the cloud. There it undergoes AI analysis, and a digital fingerprint is assigned to that vehicle for law-enforcement use. If a license plate or other identifying features are captured by Flock—including bumper and window stickers, according to Deflock.org—they are noted.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide claim the vehicle data collected by Flock cameras is deleted after a certain period—usually 30 days. The SignalTrace datasheet, on the other hand, plainly states, “All data collected may be uploaded to the EOC server and archived for future queries and analysis.”
Everyone wants law enforcement to catch criminals fast and, just as importantly, the justice system to issue appropriate sentences. The new technology, however, raises all new privacy concerns for gun owners.
There’s no doubt familiar brands in the gun industry are already eyeing this development and weighing the wisdom of offering products to address growing privacy concerns. The uproar online certainly indicates they’re going to be in demand—by those of us who exercise our Second Amendment rights, and anyone else concerned about Big Brother’s surveillance.
Certain products that can guard against privacy intrusion have been made available before, typically called “Faraday cages” or bags. In 2013, Blackhawk introduced its Under the Radar pouches and bag with Zero Trace signal-blocking technology. The company was ahead of their time, but despite the bag’s ability to thwart phone and computer surveillance, it was discontinued just a few years later.
New surveillance technology being marketed to law-enforcement agencies is now fueling a resurgence in interest in similar designs, and every gun owner needs to pay attention.
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Reading stuff like this just scares me silly & I like to think that I don’t scare easily. Seeing as that Privacy is effectively dead in this country and in a lot of the world too. I’m just glad that I am one of the last Generation that actually enjoyed having some. Grumpy
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There was a time when Heritage Manufacturing Co. was best known for its budget-priced .22-caliber single-action revolvers. The expansive Rough Rider series is still this company’s bread-and-butter line up. But starting in 2023, Heritage expanded its catalog to include a variety of imported shotguns.
Their first scatter guns were members of the Badlander family. These 18.5” barrel, side-by-side coach guns sport internal hammers and Turkish walnut stocks. By 2024, the shotgun options had expanded to include the .410 Bore Range Side, styled after the famous Winchester 1894, along with the Badlander field-grade sporting models with 28 inch barrels and interchangeable chokes.
Khan Arms is among the largest firearms exporters in Turkey.
Near the end of 2024, the Heritage Coachwhip arrived. Although the Badlanders are designed to emulate Old West styling, the 12-gauge Coachwhip takes a step further into the cowboy-action shooting theme with features that include a case-color finished receiver and a pair of exposed hammers. This model was prominently showcased at the 2025 SHOT Show, where it caught my eye. It took a bit longer than I had hoped it would to complete an evaluation but here is a closer look at what this double-barrel brings to the table.
The Coachwhip is a handsome example of the 19th century coach gun.
The Heritage Coachwhip is a boxlock action, break-open, side-by-side shotgun. As of this writing, it is available only in 12-gauge. The company has yet to announce if or when it might be available in other calibers. Although it borrows design features from the Badlander series, it has several distinctive touches unique to this model.
The shotgun is manufactured by the Khan Arms Company in Turkey for importation by Heritage. Established in 1985, this manufacturer is now among the largest Turkish exporters with products shipping to more than 50 countries. By importing this model, Heritage provides features and a level of quality for less than their competitors’ offerings.
The barrels are fitted with a single brass bead front sight.
At the heart of this handsomely crafted coach gun is the case-colored receiver. Although this rippling, multi-color surface hardening treatment is often reserved for just the receiver, in this case it has been generously applied to the hammers, release lever, trigger guard and the pair of triggers.
Even the fore-end strut is case-colored for an elegant and uniform appearance. The 18.5″ long, side-by-side double barrels have been treated with a black chrome finish. This emulates the appearance of a polished blued finish but with notably improved corrosion and wear resistance. The sighting system consists of a single brass bead mounted above the barrels’ cylinder bore muzzle.
The Turkish walnut fore-end is checkered for added purchase.
The release lever is pressed to the right to hinge open the action. This exposes the chambers and an extractor, which lifts spent casings out from the chambers about a quarter of an inch so that they can be manually extracted. The barrel markings indicate that this model is chambered for commonly available 2.75″ and 3″ long 12-gauge cartridges. It will also safely fire the 1.75″ mini shells for those who are looking for a bit less recoil.
The case-color finished receiver’s pins and screws are enhanced with simple star pattern engraving.
The spurred hammers are rebounding. This means that after they are fired they lock back, or rebound, a fraction of an inch back from the exposed firing pins. This is a safety feature intended to prevent the gun from firing if bumped or dropped. The tang-mounted safety slider moves back into the Safe position and is thumbed forward into the Fire position. It should be noted that this slider does not automatically reset to the Safe position when the action is opened.
All of the controls features the same case-color finish as the receiver.
The deeply curved dual steel bow triggers are protected by a traditionally styled trigger guard. In this case, the forward trigger drops the right-side hammer with the rearward trigger actuating the left. Both triggers were smooth in their operations. The forward trigger exhibited a slightly longer arch of travel with a trigger pull of 6 lb. 15 oz. while the rear trigger was a bit shorter and crisper with a 6 lb. 7 oz. trigger pull.
The chambers feature an extractor to aid in the manual removal of spent cartridge casings.
This shotgun’s furniture is carved from Turkish walnut with a dark oiled finish and checkered grip surfaces. The beaver tail style fore-end features a spring-loaded release button which allows the fore-end to be removed so as to separate the barrels from the receiver. The shoulder stock features a Prince of Wales (POW) shotgun grip. This is an open curve, or semi-pistol grip intended to provide enhanced control without hindering the quick hand movements required to operate double-trigger shotguns like this one. The rear of the stock is enhanced with the Heritage “H” logo on both sides and a black rubber buttpad. Unloaded, it tips the scales at 6 lbs. 8.4 oz.
The stock’s Prince of Whales grip is both comfortable and handy.
At the shooting range, the Coachwhip exhibited a handy, well-balanced feel with an action that would swing open with easy when the release lever was actuated. Some folks are looking for shotguns that can rattle off rounds with great haste.
This is not the shooting experience that an exposed hammer, double-barrel shotgun provides. But for those who do appreciate this 19th century design, the triggers cycled smoothly and the hammers produced a satisfying click when fully cocked. The stock’s grip proved to be particularly comfortable to hold.
The fore-end’s release button allows the barrels to be separated from the receiver for more compact storage or routine cleaning.
All of the ammunition tested fed, fired and extracted smoothly without any malfunctions. As expected, the levels of felt recoil were typical for 12-gauge, which is to say, on the stout side of the shotgun scale. The formal pattern testing of the 18.5″ cylinder bore barrels was conducted at 25 yards by firing individual rounds of three different 2.75″ loads into Action Target’s 35″ x 23″ paper IPSC targets with clearly visible lettered zones.
Federal Premium’s High Overall is a target and competition birdshot round launching 1 1/8-oz. of No. 7-1/2 size lead pellets at a listed velocity of 1,250 f.p.s. At this distance, the pellets spread out enough to form a relatively thin pattern evenly covering the target from top to bottom. The other two loads used were reduced recoil defensive buckshot options. Remington’s Ultimate Defense Managed Recoil round is stoked with 21 pellets of No. 4 lead buckshot at a listed velocity of 1,200 f.p.s. All 21 pellets are clearly visible on the paper with a fairly even pattern. There were 7 pellets in the A zone, 11 in the C zone and 3 in the D zone. In this case, there was no wad mark.
The author used IPSC targets to pattern the shells
Hornady’s American Gunner Reduced Recoil 00 Buckshot round fires eight lead pellets at a listed velocity of 1,350 f.p.s. This pattern was a bit more difficult to read due to target tearing. It looks like five pellets landed in the A zone with three veering off to what could be called the right “shoulder” of the D zone along with the wad. It was not the more even pattern I’ve seen with this particular load but occasionally buckshot can wander a bit.
The Heritage Coachwhip side-by-side 12-gauge proved to be as well made and reliable as it is good looking. The company has listed this model as a suitable option for cowboy shooting competitions, self-defense and close-range hunting. Yes, it can do all of those things just like other 18.5″ barrel, cylinder-bore shotguns in this caliber.
Heritage also says this gun has the look and feel of an,” heirloom… like a treasure from the past.” This is true too. The clean finish and the thoughtful period touches make it just as suitable for hanging over a mantel piece in the den as for putting to work at home or in the field. For more information, visit heritagemfg.com.
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Khan Arms, Kahan, Turkey
Importer: Heritage Manufacturing Co.
Model: Coachwhip; black chrome and case-color finish
Action: break-action; double trigger; side-by-side shotgun
Caliber: 12-gauge, 3″ chambers
Barrel: 18.5″, fixed cylinder bore chokes
Sight: brass bead front
Stocks: checkered Turkish walnut
Overall Length: 35.43″
Weight: 6 lbs. 8.4 oz., Unloaded
Capacity: 2 rounds
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 15 oz. (front), 6 lb. 7 oz. (rear)
Accessories: Lock, Owner’s Manual
MSRP: $984.99
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MAKING GOOD CHOICES BY WILL DABBS, MD
Most people start out with about the same amount of raw material. As a result, everybody is the sum total of the choices they make in life. Some of those choices can take us in some of the most fascinating directions.
Examples
Elon Musk was born in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa. He is 52 years old, six years younger than me. Musk’s father once illegally dealt in emeralds. His mother is a Canadian supermodel.
Musk made a series of decisions that led him to become one of the wealthiest people on the planet. He heads some of the most successful companies in the world and is currently worth an estimated $213 billion.
By contrast, Jeffrey Dahmer was born in 1960 in Milwaukee, Wis., to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. Lionel was a research chemist, while Joyce was a teletype machine instructor. Jeffrey had one younger brother.
Young Jeffrey made a series of decisions that ultimately led him to kill, dismember and eat 17 young men and boys. He was subsequently beaten to death in prison in 1994. In both cases, Musk and Dahmer made a series of decisions that led them to their ultimate fates for either good or ill.
Musings
Young people find themselves in a most precarious state. At a certain point in our development, we are physically imposing yet remain just as dumb as dirt. This curious intellectual dead zone represents a deplorable dearth of both wisdom and judgment and typically runs from about age 15 to around 22. It’s honestly amazing any of us survived.
Every individual is unique, but I draw these conclusions from extensive personal experience. Not only was I once young myself, but I also had the dubious honor of commanding quite a few young people back when I was an Army officer. I learned a great deal from this experience. One of the most profound lessons I inculcated was that I never wanted to be an Army Private.
A great many young soldiers simply cannot resist the urge to
buy one of these — whether they can afford it or not.
Photo by Greg Gjerdingen / Wikipedia
Private X
Most soldiers join the military with the intention of bettering their lot. They then find themselves smack dab in the middle of a minefield. Some sleazy guy offers them a lightly used Dodge Challenger at only 10% above book value and 27% interest compounded weekly. Then, some hot local girl marries him, promptly sues for divorce and renders the poor kid destitute. It’s a cycle as old as the Roman legions. Private X was going to break that mold.
The key was to be multi-level marketing. This kid drove the most craptastic beater car that was literally filled to the headliner with Amway products. There was room to slip behind the wheel but only just. Every free weekend, he puttered off to something called “Dream Night,” wherein he would get to paw over the yachts, supercars, and presumably, supermodels that the upper-echelon members of his weird religion had earned. He opted to live off post and received a housing allowance to do so.
One day, I came to work and found Private X asleep in his car. He had shoved enough blenders, vitamins, plant adjuvant and jugs of gourmet laundry detergent out of the way that he could at least recline his seat. I had the First Sergeant call him in and explain that U.S. Army soldiers were not allowed to live in their cars so they could send their housing allowances off to some multi-level marketing witch doctor. Soon thereafter, Private X was granted the opportunity to pursue his financial dreams as a civilian.
Specialist Y
Specialist Y was a homicidal maniac. She was apprehended in the shower in the barracks in the company of a male civilian friend when someone wandering by heard jungle noises coming from the latrine. She then attacked her roommate with a wooden-handled boot brush when she falsely assumed the hapless roomie had ratted her out. Specialist Y faked a drug test by scooping clear cold water out of the toilet bowl while the observer was actually watching.
The real gem was when her roommate reported that Specialist Y had stolen her debit card and emptied her bank account. I called Specialist Y into my office and asked if she knew anything about her roommate’s debit card. She looked me square in the eye and vehemently denied any knowledge of it. That’s when I showed her the surveillance photograph of her smiling face taken at the ATM while her roommate’s card was being used to make a hefty withdrawal.
Specialist Y acknowledged that the person in the image looked vaguely like her, right down to the distinctive hairstyle and prominent gold incisor. However, she assured me that it was actually somebody else. The implication was she had a terribly compelling local doppelganger. We concluded our brief chat, and I kicked her out of the Army.
Ruminations
I sincerely apologize for having deposited Private X and Specialist Y back onto the streets of middle America. Their offenses did not rise to the level of hanging, yet they demonstrated conclusively that neither of them needed to be unleashed around stuff like automatic grenade launchers. In the final analysis, they were just the sort who made bad decisions.
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Humpf!
In Kennesaw, Georgia, it’s against the law not to own a gun.
The city law, dating back to the 1980s, makes it a requirement for residents to own guns and ammo.
Kennesaw’s gun law states: “In order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition.” The law excludes residents with mental or physical disabilities, felony convictions or conflicting religious beliefs.
A Grandfather* was tossed 8 FEET into the Air by a Bison! Film at 11 !!!
Grumpy
- You would think that somebody who has lived that long to become a Grandfather. Would be old enough to know better!
