I agree 100%. All of the stories out there about kids playing with guns and accidentally injuring each other freaks me out (Remember that Beverly Hills 90210 episode?) Even though we don’t have guns in our home and eliminating that scary situation, we still do not allow the kids to have play guns- even if they arent “real” looking. I definitely feel toy guns are a violent message.

That’s why we teach them gun safety and how t safely handle, shoot, load and unload the actual guns. Our youngest- 10- is becoming quite the marksman.
We keep our guns and ammo in 2 different safes- one of which is an old bank safe that had to be brought in by a rigger and placed in our garage by a cherry picker. The kids do not know the coms to either safe. But they can exercise their burgeoning skills and satisfy their curiosity under the close supervision of their father at the grange.
(Our youngest is 10- oldest is 21 and will be getting his police commission in the next few months. So he will have his own gun safe, I’m sure.)

Given that we own real guns (DH & I are involved in competitive shooting) & have been teaching them gun safety from a toddler age and that a gun ban would totally eliminate Star Wars, Star Trek & most other sci fi stuff from our geeky lives, we allow those sorts of toys. Only rule is toy guns cannot look like real ones. They must be neon orange Nerf Blasters or chartreuse Super Soakers, etc. The action figures often come with weapons, so do the Legos come to that.
The sword analogy is only moderately appropriate IMO given the number of people who are stabbed with knives of varying lengths on a regular basis. Better lock up those steak knives.

I have served in the military, worked civilian law enforcement, and am an instructor of weapons for military and civilians. I started my grandson out shooting at the age of 3. Yes-3. I monitored lead from the shooting and showered him so as to reduce lead until age 7. He can shoot a 45 caliber, a 12 gauge shotgun, and an AR15. He has helped me teach some of my concealed carry classes, usually with men and women who have a fear of guns but feel the need to arm themselves in todays world. This past summer, at the age of 8 he took first place in his division, even out shooting some adults. He is also shooting steel challenge and IPSC. Many of you miss the point of what Im telling you and think it is just horrible to teach him about guns. What you are missing though is I have taken the mystique factor out of the equation. He understands gun safety better then most of you. If he were to go a friends house who is playing with his dads loaded 357 I have no doubt that he would put the gun away immediately and tell an adult. He respects guns and he knows the damage that they can inflict. You might think you are doing them a favor by sheltering them, but are you really??

I have to agree with Don and Goddess. As much as I wanted to resist this way of thinking for a while, the reality is that guns are real and we have to give our kids real information about them. That includes taking the curiosity and taboo out of the equation b/c that’s where they’re going to get in to trouble with them. It is a natural desire for most boys and like it or not it’s educational too. Like I commented in your other post, there is a lot of historical data that goes along with weaponry. Hell, people make a living out this and it doesn’t have to be assassin, police force or military. There are historians, world class riflemen…. and the list goes on.

You’re trying to scare them off and keep them ignorant. That’s a great way to make them curious. Curious and ignorant is a bad combination.