I have no intention of buying guns for DS, although I do expect that at some stage in his childhood he will role-play the concept, cos I know we did exactly the same as kids, and then we all grew out of it. I guess my feeling is that guns aren't bad per se, it's what the people holding them do that can be the problem, so it will be about finding the balance between letting imagination develop alongside raising a thoughtful, responsible kid. And I have to admit to a slight double standard - somewhere along the line my brother was given a cap gun (despite my mother's adament anti-gun stance), and I loved it - made the best noise ever.