A soda and 9mm ammo: The Texas grocery store with a bullet vending machine

Dawn breaks in Canyon Lake and the hours pass by with no crowds in this town nestled between greenery and water, an image that breaks with the eternally flat landscape of Texas. Under the sun, tourists come and go in bathing suits and flip-flops along the main avenue, while others sun bake on the peaceful bed of the Guadalupe River. The town is famous for its rural atmosphere, reservoir, sailing trips, water-skiing, kayaking, fishing, helicopter tours and hiking. And now it’s also famous for having the first ammo vending machine in Texas. It has bullets in a variety of calibers: .38, 9 millimeters, .45, .40 S&W; .22 long rifle and the .223 Remington, to name a few. Buying a bullet from the vending machine is as easy as buying a soda or a pack of chips.

The vending machine is located inside Lowe’s Market — a Texas-owned chain — just near the automatic doors. The device — which is six feel tall and three feet wide — is next to an ATM and a row of ice machines, and a few steps away from the multicolored pool floats, goggles and children’s beach toys.

A blond man with long hair, cargo pants and a loose shirt browses through the options while holding a bag of food and a case of beer. The vending machine has a touchscreen. Once activated, it states that only people over 21 years of age with ID are permitted to use it. And that it only accepts payments by card. The man talks to his wife about the variety of ammunition for sale, but doesn’t buy anything. If he had wanted to buy some bullets, he would have had to scan his face and his official ID. Once he’s finished seeing how it works, he leaves in a hurry, not wanting to answer any questions. Another woman in the same supermarket does want to share her thoughts on the bullet vending machine.

“And why not? In the old days, supermarkets and general stores sold everything including guns,” says Reagen Smith, 71, in a soft, familiar voice. A skinny kid listening to Smith’s response says the ammo vending machine is nothing compared to what’s sold in the sporting goods stores around him, listing brands and calibers. “I’m old enough to remember when guns were sold in all kinds of stores. It’s normal for ammo to be sold,” Smith adds.

Celina Duran, 27, also lives in the area, but does not agree with normalizing the sale of bullets or with how visible the vending machine is, pointing out her nephews can see it on their way to school. “It really surprises me because I am against weapons. It scares me that it is so close to the school because it is like encouraging all children to want to have weapons tomorrow, just for the sake of having that [the vending machine] here,” says Duran.

Lowe’s Markets in downtown Canyon Lake is located is Sattler Street, where vehicles cannot go more than 30 miles an hour to respect the students’ right of way. In addition to the high school, there is a preschool with a rainbow sign and a smiling sun. “If there are schools around, they should have more things to inspire them, not something that could cause them harm in the future, like weapons,” Durán continues. “Because you raise them, but they have their own ideas. Even if you encourage them to be educated and respectful, there is always a friend who could push them to have weapons, and they do it just to fit in with a group.”

The vending machine is made from American Rounds, which is led by CEO Grant Magers, a Texan from North Dallas. The first machine was installed in Oklahoma in the summer of 2023, then more were set up in Alabama. The vending machine in Canyon Lake is the first in Texas, which is governed by conservative Republican Greg Abbott. In Canyon Lake, another one will be installed in another Lowe’s Market store outside the center.

“We have over 200 stores waiting for ammo machines right now,” Magers explains. “There are already ammo machines in gun shops and shooting ranges, but we are the first company to do it on a larger market scale. We sell rifle ammo, shotgun ammo, handgun ammo. You’ll find the same thing at any retailer for 5% more. It can vary, depending on the ammo. One might be $10, another might be $20 or $35. We’re competitive.”

Regarding the facial and ID scan, Magers says the data is not stored and is not sold to anyone else, and that a third-party company works with the software application.

The political map of Canyon Lake tends to be more conservative than other nearby places. The town is part of Comal County and is a few minutes from Austin and San Antonio, two of the largest cities in Texas. There are no Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Olive Garden, or Whataburger in downtown Canyon Lake; local businesses take precedence. In this Texan grocery store, the ammunition vending machine is not just a point of sale, it is a reality that reflects the contradictions that define the U.S. social and political landscape.

Justice Aponte, 21, works as a tattoo artist. He has the face of a teenager, and has very white skin and very black, unruly hair. “My dad works at the other Lowe’s that is about 10 minutes from here and soon they will have another machine,” he says calmly from work. “If you have your ID and you are verified, I guess it is okay,” says the young man, who has a six-shot .22-caliber revolver.

He is not surprised that Canyon Lake has a bullet vending machine because “everyone here has a gun.” “My dad carries one all the time.”

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