
Ammo vending machines in grocery stores are currently present in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas. American Rounds, the company behind these machines, has plans to expand to Colorado and other states in the future. The machines use AI technology, card scanning, and facial recognition to ensure secure and age-verified transactions.

Ammo vending machines verify a purchaser's identity through a combination of AI technology, card scanning, and facial recognition software. The buyer inserts their photo ID, and the machine conducts a 360-degree scan to match it to the ID card, ensuring the person using the machine matches the identification scanned.

Advocates express concerns that ammo vending machines could lead to more shootings in the U.S., where gun violence is already a significant issue. They argue that making ammunition more accessible through vending machines normalizes the sale and promotion of such products, potentially exacerbating existing problems with gun violence.