Ammunition vending machines: Are they legal? Where have they been installed?
American gun owners can now buy ammunition 24/7 after a company installed bullet-dispensing vending machines in some groceries in a couple of states.
Some gun owners in two states no longer need to wait to reload their weapons, as they can easily access ammunition 24/7 without having to deal with store hours nor salespeople.
A company has distributed ammunition-dispensing vending machines in several grocery stores in Alabama and Oklahoma. American Rounds announced they have launched the first-ever automated retail machine for ammunition.
According to the company’s website, its “smart retail automated ammo dispensers have built-in AI technology”, facial recognition software, and the capacity to scan cards.
Ammunition vending machines: Where have they been installed?
American Rounds installed the first of the machines in a branch of locally owned supermarket Fresh Value in Pell City, Alabama, and then put another one in another Fresh Value in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
In Oklahoma, the dispensers have been installed in locations of Super C Mart, an independent grocery store chain in the state’s rural areas. The cities where American Rounds delivered the machines include Kingston, Lindsay, Noble, and Wetumka, according to the company’s website.
The organization’s CEO Grant Magers says their business makes ammunition more available to the public, and stresses that their system gives access to ammo in a safe way.
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In a video detailing the setting up of the first machine, Majors says, “We have a very secure automated retail machine. We’re able to age verify, we scan a driver’s license and then [it] takes 360 facial recognition for the purchase and matches to the ID.
“The machines really provide an opportunity for safe, affordable, and available ammunition sales,” he added.
Fresh Value COO Terry Stanley said he is “super excited” to have “the first ammo kiosk.”
Ammunition vending machines: Are they legal?
American Rounds pulled out a machine in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after the city council questioned its legality. According to Newsweek, Magers said relocating the ammo retail machine to another store location was “strictly a business decision.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives can approve the distribution of these bullet dispensers.
“A federal license is not required to sell ammunition,” the agency said to Newsweek. “However, commercial sales of ammunition must comply with state laws as well as any applicable federal laws.”
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In a country polarized by the issue of guns, social media users from both sides expressed strong opinions on the expanded accessibility of ammunition.
User @Billy_Boozer on X posted, “I love U Alabama! Never thought I’d see an ammunition vending machine Dreams do come true.”
User Linda Irving @LindaIr83064164 wrote, “Why? Why are you selling deadly ammunition in a vending machine?”
Gun enthusiasts continue to be adamant about their right to bear arms, while anti-gun activists point out the alarming number of deaths from firearms. As of Dec. 7 last year, at least 40,167 people had died from gun violence in the country in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.