Guns 'n groceries: Vending machines selling ammo debut in 3 US states
Jul 13, 2024
New York [US], July 13 : Vending machines selling ammunition are now appearing in grocery stores across Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma, stirring mixed reactions from officials in these states, CNN reported.
American Rounds, the company behind these machines, uses AI technology for customer identification. According to their website, the machines use both ID scanning and facial recognition software to confirm a customer's identity. This ensures that the buyer's age is verified and that the person using the machine matches the scanned identification.
These vending machines offer ammunition for a variety of firearm calibers, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, as stated by American Rounds. Grant Magers, CEO of American Rounds, mentioned that local grocery stores had approached him in the spring of 2023 about using his technology to sell ammunition. The company's first machine was installed in Alabama last November.
"It's not much different than setting up any other business," Magers explained.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has allowed the machines, telling CNN in a statement: "A federal license is not required to sell ammunition. However, commercial sales of ammunition must comply with state laws as well as any applicable federal laws."
The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office told CNN that "review of state statutes indicates these vending machines appear to be lawful." CNN has also reached out to the attorneys general of Alabama and Texas to confirm the legality of these dispensers in their respective states.
Earlier this month, American Rounds decided to relocate one of its ammunition dispensers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Magers explained, "We as a business ... made the decision to relocate that machine because we weren't having the sales that we wanted to at that location compared to our other spots."
Kip Tyner, a member of the Tuscaloosa City Council, voiced concerns about the machines, telling CNN: "It may be getting in the hands of people who are not that responsible. I just don't see it as a necessity."
He added, "There could be a dispute, and someone got upset with someone else and instead of cooling off and having to go to the store the next day they could go to the grocery store to get ammunition and use it for the wrong reasons."
Despite these concerns, American Rounds is planning to expand into more states. Magers said the company has already received offers from stores in California, Florida, and Hawaii, among others. He also mentioned that the company is setting up two more dispensers in Texas and Colorado within the next couple of weeks, CNN reported.
