Highly advanced, artificial intelligence-fueled ammunition vending machines from American Rounds—which opened for business last summer—are now found in six different grocery stores across Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas. One is being installed in Colorado next week, another in Texas shortly after and the demand is growing. The company has more than 200 requests from other retailers in five additional states. Hardware stores are showing significant interest, as well.
This isn’t your garden-variety vending machine, though. Security and strict adherence to the law—both federal and local—were foremost in the machine’s design, hardware, software and location.
“Our technology provides accessibility and safety,” Grant Magers, CEO of American Rounds explained to Shooting Illustrated in an e-mail. “In fact, it was that very thing that was a key factor in the decision to form American Rounds. Currently ammunition is sold off the shelf or online. These environments lead to inadvertent sales to underaged purchasers and or—in the case of retail stores—a high theft rate. What we loved about this concept is the AARM [Automated Ammo Retail Machine] units use state of the art ID scanners combined with facial recognition before a transaction can be made. This ensures that the individual is of legal age and that they are who they represent themselves to be. The machines themselves weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are well secured from theft. We only place them inside stores and not outside.”
The first location was a Fresh Value Grocery Store in Pell City, AL. It was installed in November 2023, only a few short months after the company launched. “The store is a real inspiration for it,” Magers said in a promotional video. “They knew their customer base and came to us and thought this would be a really good opportunity for their customer base. This is a hunting community here in Pell City, and they thought their customers would love the opportunity to buy ammunition here at the store.”
Other current locations include four Super C Marts in Oklahoma (in the cities of Noble, Lindsay, Wetumka and Kingston). A Lowes Market in Canyon Lake, TX, has one and in a few weeks, a second one goes into another company location there. LaGrees Food Stores in Buena Vista, CO, gets their AARM next week.
“As a company our team are supporters of law-abiding responsible gun ownership,” Magers wrote in the e-mail. “We believe in the Second Amendment and that providing a safe and secure method to sell ammunition is needed in the market. It maintains the integrity of the Second Amendment and reduces the opportunity for error in retail sales environments. We do not store, give out, share or sell our customers’ information. The scan is for verifying the customer is of legal age and that they are who they say they are only.”
The machines occupy roughly 4 feet square at the base. Somewhere between 30 and 35 different cartridges/loads will be available, less when hunting seasons demand the machine’s inventory includes shotshells, which occupy more space.
