A technological development from an American company of a way to legally sell ammunition has been going viral. The use of vending machines to legally validate age and sell ammunition causes some people to ignore all facts and logic and emote “guns are bad!”
The vending machines in question, from American Rounds, use computer technology to validate age with picture ID. If the person attempting to purchase ammunition is over 21 years old, they may purchase the ammunition using a picture ID, which the machine validates using facial recognition software. Only credit or debit card purchases seem possible. There does not appear to be any way to pay with cash on the face of the machine. This means a double check of identification takes place, as the person whose identification is validated must also use a credit card, which has to be separately validated.
According to the American Rounds website, the machines have been installed in six locations in two states and are expected to be installed in other states shortly. The machines are considered more secure than traditional stores, where ammunition is available on the shelf and subject to a greater chance of pilferage.
The emoting over the introduction of this technology is expected, ignoring facts and logic.
During the meeting, Councilman Kip Tyner said; “I got some calls about ammunition being sold in grocery stores, vending machines, the vending machines. Is that? I mean, I thought it was a Lie. I thought it was a joke – but it’s not.”
The Daily Mail and the Telegraph pushed hard on the “guns are bad!” theme by including misleading statistics on suicides and homicides committed with firearms, using the Orwellian term “gun violence.” The American Rounds website does not show any vending machines installed in Texas at this time. The Daily Mail article only shows vending machines installed in Oklahoma and Alabama. Yet, The Daily Mail makes this statement:
“Meanwhile, Texas, where American Rounds have vending machines, has the highest number of gun related deaths in the US with an average of over 4,600.”
There is no significant evidence of overall suicides or homicides being reduced when firearms are singled out for severe legal restrictions. Suicides or homicides with firearms may be reduced. Overall, suicides are not reduced because of the easy substitution of other methods. Overall homicides are not reduced because of substitution of methods and the reduction of defensive options. As the stated purpose of such laws is to reduce suicide rates and homicide rates, the laws do not work. Â
The theory of suicide or homicide reduction by severe regulation of firearms does not hold true when subjected to real-world trials.
The good: Common ammunition will be available at more locations, sometimes for 24 hours a day. If you are on a hunting trip and have forgotten your ammunition, this would be useful. If you are far from a sporting goods store, a vending machine in a grocery store could save you time and money.
The bad: Ammunition sales are linked to an individual, and the sales are digitally stored, possibly forever. This is another step toward firearms registration and confiscation. Ammunition was commonly available at many retail outlets, without age limits, before 1968. The federal government severely limited retail sales and required voluminous records from 1968 to 1986. The Firearms Owners Protection Act removed the record-keeping requirement In 1986. Such records had no effect except to inconvenience purchasers and sellers, and to facilitate theft of firearms. Paper records were commonly kept with the ammunition and were easily available to most people, including thieves.
The real: The vending machines store extremely limited quantities and varieties of ammunition. If you need ammunition for a .17 HMR or a .270 Weatherby Magnum, you are unlikely to find it in a vending machine. Records are being kept, but so are all records of credit card sales. Most states do not prohibit the private transfer of ammunition from one person to another of legal age. Criminals use very small amounts of ammunition. A couple of boxes can last for years. Such small amounts are easily available on the grey and black markets.
Overall, this is a positive development that helps to restore the normalization of firearms ownership and use in the United States of America.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Many of us are old enough to remember pre 1968 when almost all department stores, hardware stores, and even some convenience stores, sold guns & ammo. I remember Circle K almost always had .22 rimfire and shotgun shells, and sometimes even a few pistols in a glass counter display along with zippo lighters, pocket knives, etc. I agree with Knute Knute, hope this helps, Make Arms Normal Again.
First thing I thought when I read it…if not now it will be
It’s bad enough we have to fill out a government form to purchase a legal firearm, but this vending machine idea collects info and facial recognition information for every ammo purchase. I’m giving it a hard no. I’ll continue to make my ammo purchases in person with cash.
Look ahead, can you see it? ObiDUMB declares M-L and all the machines get shut off, just like your car, just like your power to your home. My reloaded ammo just took an increase in value. Screw gold, the real gold will be water, food, guns and fishing/trapping gear. It’s too much already. We need to not buy from any of these machines and treat them just like we do DICKS sporting goods. I was thinking about buying a Bergara 300 prc, what do you think the odds are that it wont have the ammo, what do you think the… Read more »
I will never use one of these.
“The bad: Ammunition sales are linked to an individual, and the sales are digitally stored, possibly forever. This is another step toward firearms registration and confiscation.” This was the EXACT thought that went through my mind a few days ago when I first heard about this. Me? If an active shooter incident happens in my area, I’ll be running towards it with my AR10 that I bring with me when I’m out and about. If I’m in the store then the pistol I’m carrying will be brought to bear as I run towards the sound of shots being fired. If the… Read more »
This is crazy, why would anyone let facial recognition be used for age and ID verification? It’s simply one more way for them to put you in their database. No thanks!
What about the new “extended” background check? Or do you think they’ll finally trust us?
“Overall, this is a positive development that helps to restore the normalization of firearms ownership and use in the United States of America.”
Agreed. Even so, I’ll not be using such a machine. I prefer to deal with actual people, rather than with a machine. And I also prefer to pay in cash and maintain my privacy.
Unless I really need a box of ammo at two in the morning, for some oddball reason. In that case, I’m prepared to make an exception! 🙂
Ammunition vending machines (with the possible exception of “at firing ranges”) rank with congestion pricing, cryptocurrency and self-driving vehicles, as among the worst ideas to show up recently.