A company is rolling out ammo vending machines in grocery stores across the U.S., with six already in operation.
American Rounds installed its first Automated Ammo Retail Machine (AARM) in a Fresh Value grocery store in Pell City, Alabama in November, it told Quartz. It has since installed four in Oklahoma and one in Texas, with plans for more in Texas and Colorado.
CEO Grant Magers said the company has “over 200 store requests for AARM units covering approximately 9 states currently and that number is growing daily.”
American Rounds says its AI-powered AARM units use ID scanners and facial recognition technology before allowing a transaction to be made, Magers said.
“This ensures that the individual is of legal age and that they are who they represent themselves to be,” he said.
The machines weigh up to 2,000 pounds, he said, and “are well-secured from theft.” Unlike Redbox, they are only placed inside stores and are never outside.
Users can buy shotgun, rifle and handgun rounds via the machines.
Magers said the company supports “law-abiding, responsible gun ownership” and thinks his product is a safer alternative to buying ammunition off the shelf or online. Those environments, he said, “lead to inadvertent sales to underaged purchasers and or (in the case of retail stores) a high theft rate.”