Since July, American Rounds, a company making ammunition vending machines that are placed in grocery stores and other shops, has signed over 200 contracts and received requests for machines in nearly every state, the Washington Post reports. The machines have still been placed in only a handful of new locations. American Rounds CEO Grant Magers cited ongoing contract negotiations and production limits as causes for delay and said the company’s goal is to ship around 100 units in 2025. “We knew we had something special, but we didn’t know that it was going to explode like that,” Magers said. The ammunition kiosks operate in nearly a dozen grocery stores across Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Colorado. Fresh Value, Lowe’s Market and Super C Mart all host the kiosks at some store locations. Representatives for all three companies declined to comment when reached by The Post.
The company advertises its machines as a safer and more convenient way to buy ammo than at a large retail store or online. But public health experts have questioned whether the company’s suicide prevention efforts are sufficient, and elected officials in areas where machines were set up have worried that the easy availability of ammunition could lead to impulsive purchases by people who seek to do harm. “If you’re in the ammunition space … you have a social responsibility to make things as safe as possible while maintaining the integrity of the Second Amendment,” Magers said. “We wanted to accomplish both.”
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