In a controversial move, gun owners in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas can now purchase ammunition from vending machines installed in grocery stores. These machines, created by American Rounds, allow customers to scan their ID, select from a range of ammunition options, and complete their purchase much like buying a soda.
Advanced technology ensures compliance
American Rounds touts its ammo dispensers as cutting-edge, equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI), card scanning, and facial recognition software to verify buyers’ identities and ages. “Our smart retail automated ammo dispensers have built-in AI technology, card scanning capability, and facial recognition software,” the company stated. “Each piece of software works together to verify the buyer’s age and that the person using the machine matches the identification scanned.”
Federal law mandates that customers must be at least 18 to buy ammunition for long guns and at least 21 for handgun bullets. American Rounds asserts that its verification mechanisms ensure compliance with these regulations.
Expansion plans amid controversy
Despite the controversy, the company plans to expand these vending machines to other states popular for hunting, including Louisiana and Colorado. However, not all locations have embraced the machines. A store in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, removed its dispenser after legal concerns were raised at a city council meeting. The city’s legal department confirmed the machines are legal if they meet proper zoning requirements.
The introduction of these ammo vending machines comes amid ongoing debates over gun control in the US, a country frequently plagued by gun violence. According to a report by the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM), over 42,000 people died from gun-related injuries in 2023, with gun violence increasing nearly 43 percent between 2010 and 2020.
The report highlighted the various causes of gun deaths in 2023: 35 percent were homicides, 56 percent were suicides, nearly four percent were unintentional shootings, three percent were police shootings, and less than two percent were mass shootings.
Political and social implications
The issue of gun control remains highly contentious in the US, with Democrats and Republicans often taking polarized positions. The recent rise in cases of gun-related deaths, including those involving children, continues to fuel the debate over the balance between Second Amendment rights and public safety.