Kids playing with guns was seen as no big deal back in the day, and whether they were playing Cowboys and Indians, War or Astronauts versus Aliens guns factored into playtime in a big way.
But we live in a different world these days, one which is far deadlier and full of gun-related controversy as killing sprees reach an all-time high with seemingly no end in sight.
And as the gun-related violence rises the idea of kids playing with guns becomes more taboo, especially when you consider how many kids have been killed by cops or otherwise for waving around a plastic gun.
This Circa Now collection of toy gun commercials from the 50s and 60s seems odd by today's standards, and yet it's important to remember there was a time when kids playing with toy guns didn't lead to tragedy.