In an effort to make ammunition “more available” for gun owners, three US states have installed bullet vending machines in grocery stores.
vending machines
These automatic ammo kiosks, which resemble drink vending machines and are present at certain stores in Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, enable users to scan their IDs and retrieve a round of ammunition for their handgun. These devices, which are “as easy to use as an ATM” and “free from constraints” of store hours, are produced by the company American Rounds.
Operation of Vending Devices
According to the American Rounds website, “Our automated ammo dispensers are accessible 24/7, ensuring that you can buy ammunition on your own schedule, free from the constraints of store hours and long lines.”
These “built-in AI technology, card scanning capabilities, and facial recognition software” bullet vending machines, according to media sources, match the buyer’s ID to their face. Additionally, it verifies that the purchaser is older than eighteen.
Customers must use the touchscreen on the machine to choose the type of ammo they wish to purchase. They must then scan their ID before they may take the bullets out of a hole in the vending machine’s bottom.
Strategies for Growth
According to American Rounds, they’ll keep putting up more of these kiosks in states like Colorado and Louisiana where “hunting” is common.
The company’s commercial film features a consumer using a motorized wheelchair to navigate a store, and she raises her fist in the air and exclaims, “It’s ammo? Whoo!
US Gun Death Statistics
Alabama has the fourth-highest rate of gun fatalities in the United States, according to the most recent statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2022, there were up to 25.5 firearm-related deaths in the state per 100,000 residents, for a total of 1,278 fatalities.
Controversy and Legal Status
But once its legality was questioned, a machine in Alabama was recently taken out of service. president of the Tuscaloosa City Council, Kip Tyner, stated that when he first started receiving calls regarding the machines, he assumed they were a prank. Kip Tyner, the president of the Tuscaloosa City Council, said he thought the machines were a joke when he first started getting calls about them. “I thought it was a lie when I received some calls about ammunition being sold in grocery stores and vending machines.” It’s not a joke, despite what I assumed,” he said.
Chief of Police for Tuscaloosa, Brent Blankley, states that the machines are legal and approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Speaking on the same topic, Mr. Magers told Newsweek, “American Rounds decided to move the Fresh Value Automated Ammo Retail Machine from Tuscaloosa to a different retail location for commercial reasons. Based only on sales at that particular store, this decision was made for commercial purposes.”
