Adding to the array of products available in local stores like produce, aspirin, and breakfast cereal, there is now a vending machine that sells live rounds instead of Coca-Cola and candy.
The CEO of American Rounds, Grant Magers, asserts that ammunition is a fitting addition to the offerings at this grocery store.
“Walmart sells ammo, right? So if you think about Walmart, the only difference is they have a sporting goods department. A lot of our grocery stores are kind of in rural towns where people have to drive, you know, maybe an hour to get to their nearest sporting goods store that might sell ammo,” Magers explained.
Magers stresses that his method of selling ammunition is the safest in the market, citing the lack of age verification in online sales as a major concern.
The vending machine employs facial recognition technology to ensure that the buyer matches the scanned ID, rejecting the sale if there is a mismatch.
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If the buyer is verified to be 21 years old, they can purchase rifle, handgun, or shotgun ammo from the machine.
“We’re promoting a safer environment for communities, for the retail sale of ammunition, and we’re going to maintain the integrity of the Second Amendment,” Magers emphasized.
However, some gun control advocates, like Kris Brown, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, believe that this method falls short of adequate security measures.
“It makes me really sad and scared as a parent. Someone who is a domestic violence offender who has technically had all their guns removed from them, would still be able to go and potentially purchase ammunition without any background check or any store clerk determining whether or not they should ask a few more questions — horrifies me,” Brown expressed.
States like California and Illinois have requirements for background checks in ammunition purchases.
Currently, American Rounds has six machines in three states — Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama — with a significant increase in transactions since July 3 and a growing interest from grocers nationwide to install their own machines.
“We’re getting 20 emails an hour — 98% of them, 99% of them, are just full support,” Magers shared.
