I grew up with two younger brothers and a younger sister... Both of our parents were in the military so we all grew up knowing about guns and gun safety. My family could not always afford nice toys or even real looking toys... but my brothers would turn everything into a gun... from a piece of toast at breakfast (Yes I'm serious) to lego machine guns that even had clips. My mother always jokes about the fact that as little girls are cars would go shopping or taking the baby to the doctors when we played but my brothers knew that cars could speed, crash and blow up. I think that a little toy gun for a little guy is fine and I really think it is cute that he is using it to protect is sister from the "bad guys."