High-tech ammo vending machines debut in Oklahoma stores

Vending machines selling ammunition are now in grocery stores in Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma. Currently, there are four locations in the state but so far none in Guthrie.

American Rounds, the distributor of the machines, uses AI technology to scan the customers’ identification as well as facial recognition software to verify a customer’s identity, according to the company’s website. The software works together to verify the buyer’s age and that the person using the machine matches the identification scanned.

Each machine sells ammunition for various firearm calibers, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, according to American Rounds. Grant Magers, CEO of American Rounds, said local grocery stores approached him in the spring of 2023 about utilizing his technology to sell ammunition. The company rolled out its first dispenser in Alabama last November.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has allowed the machines, telling CNN in a statement: “A federal license is not required to sell ammunition. However, commercial sales of ammunition must comply with state laws as well as any applicable federal laws.” The Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General told CNN a “review of state statutes indicates these vending machines appear to be lawful.”

American Rounds plans to expand into more states, having already received offers from stores in California, Florida, and Hawaii, among others, Magers said. The company, he said, is setting up two more dispensers in Texas and Colorado within the next couple of weeks.