Decline of the toy gun

[sawdeanz]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/to...rity-as-attitudes-change/ar-BBh83cj?ocid=iehp

Not sure if this belongs here or general discussion.

Interesting article on the role of toy guns in todays society, and the obvious decline in their acceptance in many places in America. The article features representatives from both sides. I was pretty appalled by the anti-toy gun advocate, Matthews, who leads campaigns against toy guns after serving time for armed robbery. He even admits that he enjoyed and regularly played with them as a kid, and that the show "Shaft" inspired him to commit the crimes.

The other side reasonably points out that for the most part video games have taken on the role of the toy gun as an outlet for kids to play violence, although the games probably have a lesser degree of the socializing benefits that cops and robbers did, if you ask me.

Other points I started to consider from the article:
Did you get cap guns from your teacher as a reward for good behavior?
Should the NRA do more to protect toy guns?

 

[Jim K]

Also this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...494ea8-86f8-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html

Looks like an organized leftist attack on non-firearm guns. The folks who believe the anti-gun gang is not after air guns are wrong.

Jim

 

[fpgt72]

Oh boy....not sure how to go here.

First off air guns are not toy guns. End of story nothing else to be said.

Second I am one of those people that if the "media" ever got into my house they would say he is a gun nut and had enough ammo for WWIII. That all said my son NEVER had a toy gun. IMHO it sent the wrong message about guns in general. He had a red rider at 7, a crosman at 8...on and on. And we shot stuff....all kinds of stuff, together in a safe way learning safe gun "rules" all the way around. My son never even did the airsoft thing, I am not a big fan of that as well, but I can see them being fun.

I had toy guns, I still have a toy revolver from my police set....and it does look real. I got a rifle from Disney World that shot cork "bullets" using a special cap. And it would really fling those pellets too.

 

[leadcounsel]

I ride the fence on this issue. Toy guns, bb guns, air soft guns, etc are a great way to teach responsibility at a young age where the consequence are low. But there is a danger too...

Partly practical and smart. In my life a few times I've heard of kids with toy guns being shot and killed. Once just this month, once a year or two ago... so there's wisdom in cutting these back for kids. As our society gets more violent and more compacted (big crowded cities), our cops are more inclined to shoot. And it's not just cops - as a carry permit holder, I'd feel uncomfortable with kids pointing realistic toy guns my way.

Partly due to nanny state - as more boys play with non-gun toys, predictably less boys will join the military and own guns as men.

Although I do think Ralphie deserved the Daisy Red Rider!

 

[DeepSouth]

I had toy guns, I've bought both my sons toy guns and not only did I allow them to point them at each other, they have even pretended to shoot each other with them!!! They have more times than I can count ran around the yard playing cops and robbers or Cowboys and Indians or sometimes using nerf guns and just seeing who got shot the most.
I have even chased them around the yard and pretended to shoot them!!!!
I will say they never played with toy guns in public, but we lived on 90 acres Until we moved to a 41 acre plot last year so it wasn't really an issue.

All that and as far I know neither one (now 11 & 15) has ever had a accidental, negligent, or unintenal discharge with a real gun. You see they also shot real guns, so at about 5 years old they could tell the difference in a nerf gun that barely hurt and a real gun that made melons explode. My oldest son is probably more safe with a gun than I am because I was so hard on him for so long, my youngest doesn't have as much intrest and pretty much only shoots with me around, but is very safety concise. I do believe reactive targets with kids not only is more fun, it also teaches them the difference in real guns and toys.

As for teachers giving toy guns I've never experienced that but last week when my youngest had to buy a present for his class Christmas party he bought, wait for it.......... A toy gun! He first asked me if it was ok, to which I replied "sure, why not?" After all he had to buy a toy for a boy, and most boys like toy guns.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

We could get Cap guns from the candy machine for 75 cents.

 

[splattergun]

My sibs and I all got new cap guns every Independence Day. Now my grandkids get in trouble with the leftist granny for playing with toy guns given to them by an aunt, the granny's daughter.
The ironic part is, they will use sticks, fingers or any other object that can be imagined, as a toy gun, without getting in trouble with the crazy granny.

 

[short barrel]

In today's declined society, a toy gun will get you killed. People defending themselves won't and shouldn't hesitate to make sure it's real or not. During my time in grade school, in the fifties, kids wore their cap guns in western replicas to school. Loaded with caps. The most severe requirement back then was that you didn't fire the caps inside. A totally different and worse nation today.

 

[mold maker]

The response to seeing a gun has been conditioned by constant news media talk. Every instance is made a national news article for slow political news days. Then the politicians run with it, twisted to their advantage.
Reading between the blurred lines has become very difficult.
Don't be surprised when The Loan Ranger and Tonto will be deemed as criminals, just because they had weapons.

 

[ZVP]

Agree!
ne of the largest detriments to Airguns in particular is the demand for realistic looking pistols. There are so many models that can easilly be mistaken for "real" semi- autos and many "Spittin Images" too!
I can see the want for realisim to a point but when kids are being foolish and pointing them at Cops, what are they to do but consider it a real gun and deal with deadly force?
The Police are NOT to falut!
I have shot airguns since 1960 and have quite a collection and YES some are very realistic , like my S&W revolver and a few Crosman pistols. Others (Most) just look like airguns. MY S&W 686 is every bit like an "L" frame in looks and weight!
Another point is the current "Black Rifle look of some popular air rifles that look just like M-16's! What can people assume other than the kid is running around with Dad's rifle? Dangerous!
They WILL continue to be produced. The only answer is to educate our children about Gun safety, Manners, and how NOT to scare a Cop into killing you!
Frankilly, realism in airguns is knda cool because you can train with a low cost duplicate of the real gun. It's been a selling point for .22 LR guns forever!
Simple common sense could cure a lot and it's the parent's responsibility to do it!
As I said I have shot airguns a LONG time and found many hours enjoyment from it, not to mention the benifical pest elimination chores they have done! Of late I shoot only Targets and plink . I shoot mainly benched and the accuracy of the top line rifles and pistols is nothing short of phenominal! My big Diana's easilly shoot accurately at 80 yards! My fine .177's are capable of regularilly hitting empty 12 ga Hulls @ 50 yards! Precision instruments!
I also own a Daisy 499B BB-Rifle (The one the BSA shoot competitions with) and truthfully with the special Daisy BB's it is capable of 10m cloverleafs! Heck with the Kid's, that's ADULT FUN!
Airguns run the gamut from simple to very complex and powerful.
I would really hate to see a few incidents that the Media gets hold of, ruin a great hobby!
Please help Kids understand and train them properly!
OK, I'm off my Soapbox!
ZVP

 

[clutch]

This is the result of a brainwashing campaign from the dedicated anti gun types. It also has a connection to the girlification of boys as more and more women enter positions of influence. They just don't understand the culture of boys.

The tragedies with toy guns seem to happen where gang activity is prevalent. It doesn't happen in my rural world.

As far as the decline of toy guns, I wish I had invented the nerf gun. It allows kids to safely shoot each other in play and isn't mistaken as a real gun by those, that due to their environment, are likely to assume an airsoft gun or cap gun is a real gun.

When I was a kid, we could bring cap guns to school to play with at recess. That would get a kid expelled now and a juvenal record.

The anti's are conditioning your children, I suspect in 40 more years they will have won the battle.

 

[OcelotZ3]

It's interesting that toy guns have disappeared from mainline stores, however in this day and age, we have better ones. The airsoft guns are WAY better than anything I had as a kid. BB and pellet guns/rifles are WAY better than what was available when I was a kid (but not really fitting the "toy" description).

Search on eBay for "toy gun" and you'll see a crap ton of stuff.

They just aren't available at Toys R Us, Sears, etc. anymore.

 

[MartinS]

Check out the Nerf section in Walmart lately?

 

[guyfromohio]

You can't walk through my house without stepping on a Nerf gun. One rule.... Safety glasses on. Anyone shot without safety glasses on, the shooter loses the gun. I'm not concerned. They know the difference and have seen the destruction (fruit...jugs....game) and have felt the recoil.

 

[rogerjames]

Never point a muzzle at anything you don't intend to shoot or kill. This is a cardinal rule of safe gun ownership. Seems like it would be counterproductive to allow my kid to "play" shoot anything and everything and "then" teach him this is wrong.

To each his own, but I don't ever intend on giving my son a "toy" gun unless he is mature enough to follow and understand the rules of safely handling a gun.

 

[DeepSouth]

rogerjames

He will use his thumb and index finger if nothing else, maybe not infront of you but I bet he'll do it. I'm reminded of when John Stossel (I think) found his boys sword fighting with cucumbers. You can't stop them, try as you might.

 

[rogerjames]

He will use his thumb and index finger if nothing else, maybe not infront of you but I bet he'll do it. I'm reminded of when John Stossel (I think) found his boys sword fighting with cucumbers. You can't stop them, try as you might.

True.. but he will know what the rules are and he will know what is acceptable and unacceptable from me.

I can't control what he does when he's not around me, but I can control what the expectations are and what the consequences are for violating those expectations. I may not be able to control what he does, but I can control what he's taught, at least at home.

 

[guyfromohio]

Kids aren't as dumb as we think they are. Teach them the difference. Teach them how to be safe. Don't leave your real guns unlocked.

Anecdote.... As stated, my kids love their Nerf guns. They have their rules and safety glasses. A couple of years ago, a six year old son of very liberal parents came to play. He immediately stated something to the effect of "wow! I'm not allowed to have toy guns". He picked up the first Nerf gun, placed the barrel gangsta style against my son's face and pulled the trigger. So mommy and daddy shielding instead of teaching did wonders. To each, his own I suppose. I played with toy guns and I consider myself a responsible non-sociopath.

 

[MedWheeler]

I'll read the article later, as I'm pressed for time at the moment, but I will say my six-year old already has an AirSoft gun that is stored with mine when we're not using it, and she got a cap gun for Christmas last week. I was proud to be seen buying it.

 

[Pilot]

In addition, many states have deemed BB guns, pellet guns, and airsoft funs to be defined as "FIREARMS" for legal purposes.

It is society's current need to avoid personal accountability, and responsibility by blaming the implement, not the person.

 

[DeepSouth]

I played with toy guns and I consider myself a responsible non-sociopath.

I think this is what tens of millions of perfectly reasonable people think as well. The fact is I'm not that smart of a guy, I wasn't that sharp of a kid. I made plenty of trips to the emergency room as a kid, 3 broken arms, more stiches than I could count, almost lost an eye. But for as long as I can remember I played with toy guns and shot real ones killing me first deer at 9, my first gun was .410 and was to young to remember getting it, my second was the .243 I killed the deer with.

In my life I had one ND that was from neglect of cleaning a rifle, when the bolt slammed forward the firing pin channel was full of gunk not allowing the pin to float and boom, slam fire, into the ground because all rules were being followed.

So I figure my kids are smarter than I was, and they've had more instruction on proper firearm handling than I ever did, my dad just taught me to shoot, and leave the bolt open when checking the target, other than that I was on my on.

So all that and for as long as my memory goes back I knew the difference in a toy gun and real one, and therefore I've never accidentally or on purpose shot anyone, or pointed a real gun at someone, I also do not believe I am a sociopath.

 

[fpgt72]

At the heart of this issue however are two groups of people, the "gun people" and the "evil gun people". You have to take into account the source of everything you read as very few thing just give you facts any longer.

It reminds me of that 20/20 story years ago.

 

[Sniper66]

The death of the toy gun is a casualty of PC thinking run amok. I see it in my grandchildren. My grandson, age 8, plays outdoors and makes a gun out of every stick he picks up and makes his own sounds as he shoots imaginary foes. But, when either of his parents come around, he throws down the stick as if he is committing a crime. It is very sad.

 

[OilyPablo]

When an image of gun sends fear into a room full of people of any age, I am not sure what to think other than the other side has a PR and brainwashing scheme on par with the best of the nastiest regimes to have blighted world history.