Okay so I remember when I was growing up my older brothers played GI Joe and had snap Guns and all sorts of little guns. They did not turn into gang members or ever turn a gun on anyone (except in the Marines) they are perfectly fine men.

Then came all the stuff that you should not let your kids play with guns because they would turn aggresive and blah blah blah..... so I listened and did not allow my ODS play with guns at all! Then my 2nd son was born and as he got older he wanted a a toy gun so we agreed on "lazers" then we moved two years ago 20 minutes from the mountains and most kids here have BB guns so we got ODS one. Then at Cub scout camp for DS#2 he was the only one who did not know how to use a BB gun. For his 7th B-Day we bought him a beginner Rifle but we hid it from guests because we knew some would disapprove.

I am a very open person and I hate that I had to hide that. I am proud that my scout knows how to use a bb riffle safely and with rules.

I grew up in New England and for us, most everyone had a gun. Hunting was very common and many people also kept small handguns in their home as well. When I was 11 years old, a boy four houses down from me got accidently shot and killed by another neightbor boy. The boy had found his dads gun loaded and they were playing cops and robbers with it. He was only 13 years old and it was SO SO sad (sad for both families really). I still feel sad when I think about it.

We have guns in our home. They are locked up always. My boys also have been told, many, many times that if they ever find and gun or someone is playing with a real gun that they need to immediately come and tell a grown-up. And to NOT ever touch a gun. I have also shared the story of what happened with that neighbor boy with my 7 year old. I want him to realize how serious it is.

That being said, I still allow my sons to play with toy guns (and swords, lightsabers, etc.) I, like you, do not believe it will make them grow up to be criminals. It's simply pretend and I believe it's a way to work out good vs. bad for them. My best freind growing up had a little brother 12 years younger than her. Guns were forbidden in their home. But it always cracked me up how he would make guns out of train tracks, broomsticks and whatever else he could find.

Learning to use guns and learning about gun safety needs to go hand in hand.  As your sons get a bit older, you may want to look into conservation camp for them. I went when I was 12 and loved it! We learned about camping, fishing, conservation, archery, guns and nature. It was so fun. I believe the camp was put on by the fish and wildlife dept.

I have not problem with toy guns. I have gotten DS the cap kind that make popping sounds. DH can't wait to buy him his first rifle

 SnakesNSnails~ What you said is absolutely correct! I guess the most important thing is to make sure kids know about gun safety. I believe also that kids are more likely to play with what is most forbidden.

I am going to look into those conservation camps. The one I went to was a week long one with my sons Cub Scouts troop it was in the San Gabriel Mountains and they taught them archery as well. Very Fun!

SailormoonMomma~ I used to love playing with those when I was a kid!  Ohh an I love playing with my sons new riffle!

I can't remember where I read this (I'm reading SO many books on raising boys right now- figure with 3 I'd better try to understand them better), but there's this idea that it's healthier for boys to be able to express their aggression in safe ways (through play) than it is to repress it.   We, as mothers, tend to mistake play violence for real violence when there's really no connection.  In fact, the boys that grow up to be criminals were more likely repressed in their youth.  Makes sense to me.  Every grown man I know tells me they played with guns/weapons as a child and none of them are criminals!  Even my hippy-dippy DH loves himself a game of Halo!

Our boys have water guns and a lot of their toys come with little guns (transformers, power rangers, etc).  My rule is that they don't point them at me or other people (or the dog), but they can point them at each other all they want.

I don't let my 4 year old or 2 year old play with toy guns.  It makes me so nervous when I see kids running around with toy guns pretending to shoot people and things.  However.....  it must be a boy thing because even though my kids don't have toy guns and we have no real guns in the house, some how they still know what guns are and what they are for.  They make pretend guns out of legos, they find sticks that look like guns.  I can't get away from it.