Ammo vending machine.

[GigaBuist]

Okay, so I got a weird idea from a buddy that's just started shooting. We're tech geeks, and the only range he really goes to is an indoor one that you can walk out of, get more ammo, and walk back to the firing line. Actualy the RO will grab you more ammo and put it on your account for you but he didn't know that.

However, he thought an ammo vending machine would be kinda neat.

Any thoughts? Maybe this would work for unattended ranges. My first though is it would be a HUGE target for criminals. Hey, free ammo AND money at night. Maybe that alone makes it a bad idea.

Ammo picky-ness also makes it a bad idea I suppose -- because not everybody wants to shoot cheap Wolf or PMC ammo. On top of that most serious shooters probably have enough on hand anyway. However, in my early days there were times I was caught with just a 9mm pistol and 100 rounds of ammo and wanted to shoot more. No stores around for 20 miles.

Then, there's the whole problem with "being 18" to buy rifle ammo.

I did think it was a neat idea though. Maybe, if it's run by the local DNR or something, they could sprinkle them around the parks and what not.

Far fetched idea -- but, any thoughts?

 

[winstonsmith]

That would be interesting. However, I doubt that criminals would go for the vending machine when they have all the rental guns to go for.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Sounds neat. It adds a new meaning to "Good and Plenty."

 

[lee n. field]

Then, there's the whole problem with "being 18" to buy rifle ammo.

You're supposed to be 18 to by cigarettes too. That doesn't stop their being vending machines for them.

I could picture a machine to dispense, say, 25 rounds of .22LR for a buck.

 

[McNutt]

I'm assuming the ammo doesn't drop like the Twinkies do.

 

[buy guns]

"My first though is it would be a HUGE target for criminals."


actually vending machines are alot harder to break into than you think, especially ones where you would have to be quiet about it.


i think this is a great idea too. with todays technology i bet you could design a scanner to scan your drivers license to verify your age. i imagine you could price the ammo lower than local stores because the vending machine is your only expense. i bet some decent cash could be made off this idea.

 

[SodaPop]

LOL!!

I own a vending company in the Philadelphia area and have thought about that. One of my accounts is www.doubleaction.org (an indoor pistol range) and the topic has come up.


It isn't a safe idea.


Here's why......


Would you stand next to a box of 45acp that falls from 5ft? That's about how far of a drop the top shelf is on the average snack machine.

Question:

How many of you have ever had something get stuck on a snack machine? What did you do?

Answer:

Pound the crap out of it!!


Result: Free ammo starts falling from the first row of goodies. Now you have boxes of ammo falling from 1ft-5ft up.

Your clothes will be bullet ridden and the machine will probable explode.

It would be fun but too much of a liability.


Lucky me though.

I have a soda machine in my house that dispenses beer but I could stock another machine with ammo since i have the keys to open it if something gets stuck.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Poooh on all these fears. So long as we don't load the machine with percussion caps and 1 lb cans o' blackpowder, I'm sure everything will be A.O.K.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

There's more than one way to disinderm a feline.

The soda machine at my local range has a little elevator that fetches the soda from the shelf and carries it to the exit.

It's a neat idea. If anything, it'll be the legal issues that stop an idea like this.

Still, it might be a solution in search of a problem.

 

[Navy joe]

I won't be satisfied until I see the .380 vending machine in the gas station restroom right next to the glow in the dark condom machine.

 

[buy guns]

Would you stand next to a box of 45acp that falls from 5ft? That's about how far of a drop the top shelf is on the average snack machine.

good point. what about those vending machines that hold big sandwiches and rolls? there is a door for each level and you can spin the shelves to display what you want. then you just open the door and grab your food. theres nothing to fall or get stuck.

 

[lycanthrope]

How about foam packaging? I'm sure the cost would be inflated (just like soda/pop) anyhow.......

 

[Black92LX]

Would you stand next to a box of 45acp that falls from 5ft? That's about how far of a drop the top shelf is on the average snack machine.

What about the machines that use a convayer belt system so the soda doesn't get all shaken up. the pop doesn't fall anywhere. or the ones that use the vacuum system to pick it up and set it down?? or the ones that have the spinning displays and you push the button to spin to the one you want and just slide open the door?

I think this could be a good idea. but who knows.

 

[SodaPop]

You can always design some new gadget to make it work safer.


It can be done, but a loaded vending machine with ammo may weigh thousands of pounds. Most of my machines (snack machines) are the ones with the metal spirals between the items. Usually about 12-18 items deep for each colum. Something like a 23 selection vending machine that is 18 items deep could hold 414 boxes of ammo (20,000rds of ammo) and that is a really small machine.

Most Pepsi and Coke machines only weigh 350-400lbs loaded.

 

[Treylis]

What about the machines that use a convayer belt system so the soda doesn't get all shaken up. the pop doesn't fall anywhere. or the ones that use the vacuum system to pick it up and set it down?? or the ones that have the spinning displays and you push the button to spin to the one you want and just slide open the door?

Out of those, I'd say that the vacuum system is probably unrealistic. It's one thing to vacuum up a 5-ounce ice cream bar, it's another thing to vacuum up a 50-round (or 100) box of .45ACP.

 

[GigaBuist]

Wow, I suspected a huge number of "that's retarded" posts coming out. I'm surprised as all get out that it's received that much "might be a good idea" posts.

For what it's worth I currently contract as a software developer at a company that was once known for vending machines. Some of the above methods described were created by engineers that I work with right now. Sooo.... creative ideas to the problem could be hashed out over a lunch break pretty easy

The original idea was more like a golf ball dispenser at a driving range. Put bucket under spout, ammo drops out. OK, maybe not the SAFEST thing in the world -- but centerfire stuff should be OK so long as it doesn't drop more than a few inches at a time.

I like the idea of a .380 vending machine next to condoms too -- especially in a womans's bathroom. For protection, go latex. For the ULTIMATE protection to FMJ .380. Oh heck, lets put some quality JHP .45's in there too.

 

[J.J.]

Legailty is the problem. You can't just swipe a drivers liscense because well its really easy to steal a persons liscense that is over 21.

Thats the biggest problem i see with it ohh and the marchers who would ban them for the children.

 

[Nightcrawler]

At my school there're the most Rube Goldberg-ian-ly overcomplicated pop machines. A little elevator bar comes up to the level of the item being dispensed. This elevator has a conveyor belt on it that pushes the pop bottle to the right, wherein it is deposited in the vending chute.

In any case ammo doesn't explode when you drop it. Firearms would be patently unsafe to carry if ammo was that unstable.

 

[Treylis]

Legailty is the problem. You can't just swipe a drivers liscense because well its really easy to steal a persons liscense that is over 21.

As somebody already noted above, age restrictions haven't stopped people from making and using cigarette machines.

 

[BluesBear]

Result: Free ammo starts falling from the first row of goodies. Now you have boxes of ammo falling from 1ft-5ft up.
Your clothes will be bullet ridden and the machine will probable explode

Poppycock. Any ammunition THAT sensitive would be dangerous to load more than one round in a firearm. The recoil from one would set off the others.

what about those vending machines that hold big sandwiches and rolls? there is a door for each level and you can spin the shelves to display what you want. then you just open the door and grab your food. theres nothing to fall or get stuck.

Now THAT is a GREAT idea. That type of machine would work quite well.

 

[atek3]

wasn't there ammo vending machines in an l neil smith book?

atek3

 

[crewchief]

Say like this actually could be done both legaly and phisically I know some people that would probaly put alot of finacial backing twords this. One thing that can solve both the age verification issue and the fact that this ammo would not be the cheapest is to use credit card scanners for age verification and the only method of payment. Tipically you have to be 18 to own a credit card and if you make this the only form of payment then it can be argued that it is an age verification tool. Also you have to look at the aspect of the cost of the ammo, it would not be cheap and I doubt that someone wants to fiddle with bill readers repeatidly or change. Another issue would being able to stock enough ammo into a reasonable sized machine. My solution would be to do away with actuall boxs but rather have large hoppers that can hold at least 5,000rds. of each caliber. Say you keep it down to the most popular loads like .45, .40, 9mm, .357mag, .44mag, .38spl. Now granted you only have 6 calibers and thier all pistol but who says you can't have seperate machines. Now the pistol calibers would be in 6 big hoppers that carry 5,000 a piece. Since thier is no boxs per say you have a slot on the side of the machine that hold little colapsable boxs. What the shooter does is grab a box stick in the money pick a caliber and it comes out a little chute waist high that he holds the box under. Now you are all probaly wondering what about different brands, well tough if you are buying ammo out of a machine chances are you are hard up for ammo and PMC or Winchester white box will do just fine. Now that takes care of the pistol shooters. The rifle shooters would have a seperate machine like the sandwitch machines mentioned above where they maybe not get as much quantity but rather quality and choice. You would have a decent selection of most rifle calibers and different brands for each caliber from the cheapest you can find all the way up to hunting or match target ammo. Since highpower rifle shooters really never shoot that much in the way of quantity it would be more typical to see them only need one good box of 20. I would have some slots though that would have like 5 boxs of .223 in one slot because that tends to get shot more in quantity. Now here is the third machine for the .22's. Picture a machine with one massive bin that contains say 100,000 remington bulk pack .22's and this machine has a dispensing chute with a trap door you open and dispense into a bucket below. Now this bucket is completely contained in a sealed encloser and under the bucket is a built in scale. What the shooter does is pull a lever on the side of the machine which starts the flow of .22's into this bucket and once it looks like enough for him he stops. From that point the bucket is weighed and from the weight a price is configured. He pops in his credit card and once it is done processing a access door on the encloser to the bucket electronicly unlocks. From there the shooter tips the bucket which is mounted on hinges and pours the bullets into a plastic bag that is provided, the bucket is returned upright the door is locked again and the machine is ready for the next shooter. There you go my solution to the unsupervised ammo machine hut.


Yes yes I know I have one hell of an imagination, but I am told it comes up with some fabulous ideas

 

[crewchief]

This is a little update on the post that I just made above. I have logged this as an original idea of mine and I expect people on here to treat and respect my ideas as my own. I have copyrighted and have had ideas of mine in the past protected as well as my designs. Please don't take this as a off the wall remark as I have had ideas of mine stolen in the past and marketed without my knowladge or consent. I will be working feverishly on design layouts for the above mentioned machines and plan on getting those layouts protected for my benifit. If anybody on here actually likes any of these ideas and are serious and genuine in the idea of persuing a ammo dispensing machine I urge them to contact me at [email protected] I ask that the members here at THR treat these posts as genuine, for many inventions in the world have come from ideas that people mocked or scoffed at before. Now some of these inventions have revolutionized the way we live (microwave, dishwasher, remote control). So please I ask that you don't mock me for some day you may see a ammo vending machine at a range near you and you can turn to your shooting buddy and say, "Hey I knew the inventor of this machine and I was there when his idea actually came to him on 'The High Road'."

 

[Smoke]

Would you stand next to a box of 45acp that falls from 5ft? That's about how far of a drop the top shelf is on the average snack machine.

'
That wouldn't bother me in the least. If ammo goes off from a 3-ft fall...there is something severly wrong.

Smoke

 

[TechBrute]

Good idea. Too hard to implement properly. Good luck.