Toy gun
Many newer toy guns are brightly colored and oddly shaped to prevent them from being mistaken for real firearms.
Rubber band guns are often used in live-action games such as Assassins, in which they are common and popular toy weapons.
To operate, one punctures the surface of a potato with the gun's hollow tip and pries out a small pellet which fits snugly in the muzzle.
Squeezing the trigger causes a small build-up of air pressure inside the toy which propels the projectile.
With the aid of two check valves, often using small balls, fluid is drawn into the pump from a reservoir, then forced out the nozzle upon squeezing the trigger.
Increasing pump volume would require more user effort to push the fluid out, making larger designs impractical.
[8] Foam dart blasters are manufactured in multiple forms, including pistols, rifles, and light machine guns.
They are essentially a special type of very low-power smoothbore air guns designed to shoot non-metallic spherical projectiles often colloquially (and incorrectly) referred to as "BBs", which are typically made of (but not limited to) plastic or biodegradable resin materials.
Airsoft gun powerplants are designed to have low muzzle energy ratings (generally less than 1.5 J or 1.1 ft⋅lbf) and the polymer pellets have significantly less penetrative and stopping powers than conventional air guns, and are generally quite safe for competitive sporting and recreational purposes if proper protective gear is worn.
Gel blasters are invented as a replacement toy for regions with airsoft-unfriendly laws (e.g. China, Australia, Malaysia and Vietnam), and are often played in CQB-style shooting skirmishes similar to paintball, but follows an airsoft-like honor-based gameplay umpiring system.
Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel and quickly strike a target.
Since its birth in 1979, with the release of the Star Trek Electronic Phasers toy manufactured by the South Bend Electronics brand of Milton Bradley, laser tag has evolved into both indoor and outdoor styles of play, and may include simulations of combat, role play-style games, or competitive sporting events including tactical configurations and precise game goals.
[14] Trainees are issued rubber ducks before they have been properly trained to use actual rifles, in order to become familiar with the care, responsible handling, and added weight of an M16 during various activities, such as bayonet drills, water survival, and marches.
With the influence of Hollywood and comic strips, tie-ins could make an ordinary toy gun a major bestseller.
[15] Mattel had used television advertising to sell their "burp gun" on The Mickey Mouse Club in the mid-1950s to great effect.
Not only could the "Dick Tracy Crimestoppers" have a realistic snubnosed revolver in a shoulder holster, but Mattel also boosted junior law enforcement firepower with a Dick Tracy cap firing tommy gun that fired a burst of 6 caps automatically when the M-1 Thompson-style bolt was pulled back.
One commercial featured Billy Mumy demonstrating the weapons to his father prior to watching Dick Tracy on TV.
MPC toys replied with a "B.A.R.K" - "Bond Assault and Raider Kit" an attaché case that opened up to display a firing mortar and a rocket shooting pistol.
In the 1970s, the Star Wars media franchise provided new laser blaster and lightsabers produced by Kenner Toys.
However, the trade association representing the toy weapon manufacturers also contacted the CPSC, asking them to delay until the industry developed their own set of voluntary standards.
The voluntary guidelines that were published over the next few years emphasized the use of warning labels on packaging and instructions, rather than mandating safety standards for the design of projectile toys.
[17] In 1992, the Department of Commerce prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipping of toy guns unless they have an orange tip or are entirely brightly colored.
[18] In March 2018, Walmart (the largest single retailer in the United States) announced that they would stop selling certain types of toy guns.
[19] “We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys,” the company said in a statement.
In New York City, as of 2003, the sale of replica toy guns was punishable with one year's jail term plus $1,000.
[22] However, the National Union of Teachers in England has criticised this advice, arguing that toy guns "symbolise aggression" and that encouraging boys to play with them fosters gender stereotypes.
