Ammo vending machines are popping up at grocery stores around the US

Alongside produce, aspirin and breakfast cereal now sits a vending machine of sorts, but instead of Coca-Cola and candy, this machine sells live rounds.

Grant Magers, the CEO of American Rounds , says ammo is perfectly at home in this local grocer.

"Walmart sells ammo, right? So if you think about Walmart, the only difference is they have a sporting goods department. A lot of our grocery stores are kind of in rural towns where people have to drive, you know, maybe an hour to get to their nearest sporting goods store that might sell ammo," Magers said.

But more importantly, Magers says his way of selling ammunition is the safest option on the market.

"Anytime I've ever bought ammo, I've never been ID'd once for buying ammo. So that doesn't happen very often, you know, if you're online, it's easy for a minor to go in and say, sure, 'click,' I'm 21, you know, use your parents' credit card," Magers added.

The machine uses facial recognition so if the buyer doesn't match with the scanned ID, the machine rejects the sale.

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If the buyer does match up and is 21 years old, then out comes rifle, handgun or shotgun ammo.

"We're promoting a safer environment for communities, for the retail sale of ammunition, and we're going to maintain the integrity of the Second Amendment," Magers said.

But for some gun control advocates, being more secure than online sales is a low bar to clear.

Kris Brown is the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

"It makes me really sad and scared as a parent. Someone who is a domestic violence offender who has technically had all their guns removed from them, would still be able to go and potentially purchase ammunition without any background check or any store clerk determining whether or not they should ask a few more questions — horrifies me," Brown said.

States like California and Illinois require background checks for the purchase of ammunition.

For now, American Rounds has six machines in three states — Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama — but Magers says they've seen an 800% rise in transactions since July 3 and grocers across the country lining up to get a machine of their own.

"We're getting 20 emails an hour — 98% of them, 99% of them, are just full support," Magers said.