A Dallas-based company has installed vending machines stocked with ammunition in grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma and South Texas and hopes to expand to Dallas-Fort Worth markets soon.
According to American Rounds CEO Grant Magers, the computerized ammo vending machines use ID-verifying and facial recognition software to facilitate ammunition sales to individuals over 21 years of age. Before selecting an item, purchasers are required to insert their ID into the machine while an AI-powered scanner uses facial recognition to ensure the ID matches the buyer. Magers said the double-verification required by the machines creates a “safer environment” for ammunition sales, preventing the opportunity for shoplifting or purchases by underage buyers.
American Rounds has one vending machine installed in Alabama, four in Oklahoma and one in a Lowe’s Market in Canyon Lake, Texas. A second machine is planned for Canyon Lake in “a couple of weeks,” and a machine is being installed in Colorado this week.
“A lot of our grocery stores right now are in rural communities where they don’t have an Academy across the street. People have to drive an hour if they want to go get ammo and go hunting for the weekend,” Magers told the Observer. “I grew up here in Richardson and would love to see us continue [to expand.] We already have plans with other stores here in Texas for sure, but we would love to get into the Dallas market and surrounding area.”
The company has received some pushback from gun control advocates, but Magers believes much of the scrutiny directed towards American Rounds is from individuals lacking context about the current ammunition market.
I ❤️ U Alabama!
— Billy Boozer 🇺🇸/acc (@Billy_Boozer) July 6, 2024
Never thought I’d see an ammunition vending machine 🔫
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An investigation published earlier this year by The Smoking Gun tested the age restrictions of seven online ammunition retailers and found that none required a buyer to prove their age before completing a transaction. Last summer, over half a million rounds of ammo was stolen from a Cabela’s sporting goods store in Delaware, launching an investigation by the state’s Department of Justice.
They are issues Magers feels he is solving while respecting people’s Second Amendment rights. While federal law allows individuals to purchase shotgun and rifle ammunition at age 18, the vending machines require purchasers to be 21. The machines, which weigh over a ton, are installed only inside of stores and are “well secured from theft.”
A ‘Questionable’ Expansion for the Firearm Industry
While Magers contends the software behind American Rounds’ age verification system is a secure one, some advocates for gun control are skeptical. In a statement provided to the Observer, Nick Suplina, an executive with the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, questioned the placement of the ammunition vending machines in everyday grocery stores.
"Innovations that make ammunition sales more secure via facial recognition, age verification and the tracking of serial sales are promising safety measures that belong in gun stores, not in the place where you buy your kids milk," Suplina said. "In a country awash in guns and ammo, where guns are the leading cause of deaths for kids, we don't need to further normalize the sale and promotion of these products."
But Magers said that because the company has been approached by grocery stores primarily in “large hunting communities,” the culture of gun ownership is already normalized. In total, there are 200 grocery stores across nine states requesting machines, he said.
"We already have plans with other stores here in Texas for sure, but we would love to get into the Dallas market and surrounding area.” — Grant Magers, American Rounds CEO
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Nicole Golden, executive director of the gun control advocacy group Texas Gun Sense, worries the machines will be an “added complication” to efforts to tighten the state’s gun laws. Background checks are not required for the purchase of ammunition, and expanded opportunities to purchase ammo could put bullets in the hands of “people with dangerous histories,” she said.
“Many gun owners are very vocally in support of common sense gun laws and practices, and it may be that this is not viewed as a common sense practice when we know there is more we need to do to protect our communities from gun violence,” Golden said. “We've already faced an uphill battle in passing [gun control legislation] … It just seems questionable as to if this is heading in the right direction.”
Golden believes state lawmakers should question the legality of the machines. In some places, it's already in question.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, an American Rounds machine was removed from a grocery store last week after Kip Tyner, a local City Council member, questioned whether the machine is legal. Tyner said he was "stunned" to learn of the machine after receiving calls from concerned constituents, but discovered there was "little" the city could do in terms of regulation.
"When I first saw it, I thought someone was punking me," Tyner told told reporters at WBRC in Tuscaloosa.
American Rounds states the Tuscaloosa machine was removed because of "disappointing sales," but with hundreds of requests for installs, expansion is happening at a rapid pace.
“We believe that we are creating a safer environment for the sale of ammunition, and that is what we strive to do. We want to create a safer environment while maintaining the integrity of the second amendment," Magers said. “I think that everyone can agree that is a good goal.”
