Weekly Wrap: Lawmakers Target Ammo Vending Machines
Lawmakers target ammo vending machines in three states, 2A group see partial win in CA CCW case, and judge tosses machine gun charges.
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Welcome to a weekly series here on Pew Pew Tactical dedicated to the gun news you need to know.
So, keep reading for this week’s notable news headlines…
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Massachusetts Lawmakers Target Ammo Vending Machines
Massachusetts Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren fired off a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives asking the agency to investigate ammunition vending machines popping up across the States.
Distributed by Texas-based company American Rounds, the vending machines can be found in grocery stores in Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Using AI and facial recognition technology, the ammunition dispensers verify the customer’s age and that their ID matches their face. There’s currently no limit on how much ammunition a purchaser can buy.
In the letter Warren and Markey wrote to ATF Director Steve Dettlebach, the pair say the machines threaten public safety by granting prohibited individuals easy access to ammo.
As our nation continues to grapple with an epidemic of gun violence, these machines threaten to make ammunition more widely available and accessible in our communities, especially to prohibited individuals and those who pose a threat to public safety,” the letter reads.
“We urge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to closely examine these automated ammunition vending machines and their place in the federal gun safety regulatory scheme, and use the full extent of the Bureau’s authority to prohibit them in supermarkets, grocery stores, and other general retailers frequented by people of all ages and walks of life.”
The Gun Control Act federally mandates that purchasers of rifle and shotgun ammo be 18 years old, while handgun purchasers must be 21. States currently housing the vending machines place no additional restrictions on the sale of ammo.
For its part, American Rounds says its product complies with all federal regulations.
“Our automated ammo dispensers represent the pinnacle of this innovation, designed to deliver precision, efficiency, and reliability,” the company said on its website. “Our state-of-the-art automated dispensers are equipped with the latest AI technology, featuring card scanning and facial recognition software to meticulously verify the identity and age of each buyer. This robust system ensures that all transactions comply with federal and local regulations, maintaining the highest standards of responsible sales.”
In addition to calling for the removal of these machines from grocery stores, Warren and Markey submitted a list of questions to the ATF. The lawmakers have asked the ATF to respond to their questions by August 30.
Partial Win in CA Carry Permit Case
Pro 2A groups netted a minor win in its case challenging California’s controversial concealed carry permit laws.
In its suit, the California Rifle and Pistol Association, alongside the Second Amendment Foundation and Gun Owners of America, challenged California’s CCW permit restrictions – targeting its wait times, exorbitant fees, denials, psychological exam, and nonresident carry permits.
In a mixed decision, a federal judge upheld California’s decision not to recognize out-of-state permits but pushed the state to allow nonresidents to apply for a permit.
“Concerns for the public safety, to be sure, are important. But the State does not explain how an order enjoining only the residency requirement for applications, which would still require nonresidents to apply for a CCW license in accordance with California law, would impact public safety,” Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett wrote in the 44-page decision.
The court also granted limited relief on waiting times, but only for the two plaintiffs, agreeing that an 18-month waiting period is excessive.
CRPA clarified that this was not the full win they wanted, but it was a small step in the right direction.
“While the ruling is disappointing in several ways, we are glad we scored some wins for the time being, and we now have a roadmap on what the Court would like to see in order for CRPA to prevail on the remainder of the issues,” the group said on X.
Federal Court Tosses Machine Gun Charges
A set of machine gun charges were dismissed after a federal judge called them unconstitutional.
Judge John Broomes, out of the U.S. District Court in Kansas, tossed the charges against defendant Tamori Morgan, citing the “history and tradition of the Second Amendment.”
Morgan was indicted in 2023 for possession of an Anderson AM-15 pistol and a Glock 33 with a conversion device and charged with violating federal machine gun laws [18 U.S.C. § 922(o)].
After evaluating the case, Broomes agreed with Morgan’s federal public defender, pointing out that machine guns have existed for “well over a century.” Despite the U.S. Attorney's Office’s insistence that the Second Amendment does not extend to weaponry not in existence at the time of the founding fathers, Broomes said the government’s argument was insufficient.
“Because the Second Amendment extends to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding, 18 U.S.C. § 922(o) offends the history and tradition of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution by imposing a blanket prohibition on machineguns that is both facially unconstitutional and unconstitutional as applied to Mr. Morgan,” Broomes wrote in a 10-page decision.
Anti-gun advocates were quick to jump on the decision, calling it reckless.
“It’s appalling that the District Court would so brazenly put the deadly agenda of the gun lobby over the safety of Kansans. We are shocked and dismayed by this decision,” Janet Carter, senior director of issues and appeals at Everytown Law, said in a statement.
Though the judge dismissed the charges, the case sets the stage for further courts to weigh in on the historical traditions of machine guns and whether they can be regulated under the National Firearms Act.