Toy guns come in all different styles and designs.
Toy guns come in all shapes and sizes, from brightly colored plastic bazookas to realistic-looking pistol replicas. Some toy guns fire harmless projectiles made from foam or soft plastic, while others use compressed air or caps to make loud firing sounds. Toy guns are often a controversial subject because many people believe they encourage violence among kids and are responsible for fatal mix-ups with real guns.
Cap Guns
Cap guns have been around since as early as the 1860s and are still sold in toy stores across the country. According to skooldays.com, cap guns first appeared immediately following the Civil War when weapons factories, responding to sharp declines in the demand for real guns, started to manufacture toy guns. These guns were filled with just enough gun powder to create a loud bang and some smoke when fired. Today caps (cap gun ammunition) are sold in circular plastic rounds that are usually red in color. Originally, cap guns were fashioned out of wood and metal, but today most guns are light plastic. Cap guns remain popular toys for youngsters and will likely be around for decades to come.
Water Guns
Water guns have been popular summertime backyard toys ever since they emerged in the 1950s. Water guns use air pressure to push water through an internal plastic pipe until the water squirts out of the barrel. Early water guns were basic pistols only capable of firing thin streams of water a very short distance. As water guns soared in popularity, guns featuring popular cartoon and movie characters such as Buck Rogers and James Bond began to appear. During the late 1980s, high-powered water guns like Entertech’s Super Soaker hit the shelves. These guns featured bright neon colors, large water tanks and increased shooting ranges. Many guns now feature sound effects, lights and even longer shooting ranges--up to 15 feet.
Blaster and Projectile Guns
Blaster and projectile guns fire harmless balls, pellets, darts, flying discs and other small objects, usually at short range. The bullets or ammunition are made from safe materials such as foam or soft plastic and are often brightly colored yellow or orange. One of the most popular makers of this type of gun is Nerf, whose distinctive foamy yellow balls and plastic darts became synonymous with this type of toy gun. Nerf’s creative gun design features cross bows, multi-fire bazookas, revolvers and machine guns. These guns offer a much safer alternative to BB guns, which have been associated with property destruction and many child injuries.
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