Buying rounds of ammunition has never been easier now that a bullet vending machine is operational at a Canyon Lake grocery store.
When you walk into the Lowe’s Market on Sattler Road, the ammunition vending machine sits next to the ATM. Customers must be age 21 or older to make a purchase, and they must undergo a facial recognition scan to confirm their identity.
A Lowe’s customer named Logan said this step makes the process more secure than other methods of ammunition purchase. Logan declined to share his last name to protect his identity.
“[At] Academy, you can be 18 and buy a rifle and shotgun rounds. And buying from one of these machines is only 21 and up,” said Logan.
Grant Mager is the CEO of American Rounds. He said that they’ve partnered with grocery stores in multiple states. In addition to Texas, the machines are also installed in Alabama and Oklahoma.
“They actually came to us first and said that they would like to offer their customers the opportunity to buy ammunition at their stores,” he said.
Mager said that his machines exclusively sell to individuals 21 and older. The age requirement makes the vending machines the safest way to purchase ammunition in the country.
“So, those scanners are the same ones that TSA uses. We’ve used the highest level of technology that we can get,” he said.
If you look different than your ID, you may get rejected from purchasing ammo.
“I know beards are a big trend right now. Someone has one of those beards and it’s not on their ID, it’s very likely that they’re going to get rejected,” said Mager.
According to Mager, his company doesn’t share or sell their customer’s data. It uses facial recognition purely to confirm an individual matches their ID.
Organizations like Texas Gun Sense say that the vending machines will contribute to a worsening gun violence crisis in the state. Nicole Golden is the executive director of Texas Gun Sense.
“To make it easier to access firearms and ammunition, I mean, it’s really questionable if that’s the right direction to go in,” said Golden.
But Mager said that the machine can only hold so much ammo. And people who are looking to commit violent crimes are more likely to purchase hundreds of rounds of ammo online than from a vending machine.
“There’s a limited supply inside that machine. It’s not like there’s a lot of ammo, right? We have to restock it regularly,” he said.
In June, the U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence a public health crisis in the United States. Golden said Texans have every right to question the installation of these machines.
“More than 4,000 Texans are shot and killed every year. So like, that’s true no matter what,” she said.
The impact of these vending machines is yet to be seen because they are so new. But critics say they will be watching.
