Guns ’n groceries: Vending machines selling ammo debut in 3 US states

New York, 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.”