US introduces vending machines for bullets to make ammunition ’more available’

In a bid to make ammunition “more available” for gun owners, three US states introduced vending machines for bullets at grocery shops.

Similar to a drink vending machine, these automated kiosks for ammunition available at some shops in Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma now allow customers to scan their ID and walk away with a round of bullets for their weapon.

Manufactured by the firm American Rounds, these machines, they say are “as easy to use as an ATM” and are “free from constraints” of store hours.

“Our automated ammo dispensers are accessible 24/7, ensuring that you can buy ammunition on your own schedule, free from the constraints of store hours and long lines,” American Rounds' website read.

How do these vending machines work?

According to media reports, these bullet vending machines use "built-in AI technology, card scanning capabilities and facial recognition software" to match the buyer's ID to their face. It also ensures that the buyer is over 18 years of age.

To buy ammunition, customers have to select the kind they want to buy on the machine's touchscreen. They are then required to scan their ID, after which they collect the bullets from a hole at the bottom of the vending machine.

Plans for expansion

American Rounds have said they will continue to roll out more such kiosks in districts where "hunting" is popular like Louisiana and Colorado.

In its promotional video, the company shows a customer moving through a shop using the vending machines on a motorised wheelchair, before raising her fist in the air and shouting: “It’s ammo? Whoo!”

Gun death stats in US

According to the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics, Alabama has the fourth-highest rate of gun deaths in the US.

As many as 25.5 deaths were caused by firearms in the state per 100,000 people in 2022, with a total fatalities of 1,278.