I bought ammo there last week. They do enter your number in a computer and you need to check if you are a citizen or not. Last time I bought was over a year ago and I don't remember doing that before so maybe its new. I usually buy from Cabelas and they just look to see if you have one. I have no idea what store they are picturing in that article, all the Dicks I have been to only have shotgun ammo out on the shelves and you need to ask for anything else. I got 2 boxes of 22LR which is all you can buy at once. The guy opened a cabinet and there were only 15 boxes total sitting on a big empty shelf.
You get a lot more dirty looks at dicks buying ammo and the people that work in the gun department know very little, more check your foid and give you what you ask for. If you let it bother you then you need to grow thicker skin. Nothing better then winking at some uptight mom as you check out with a basket full of ammo.