Down here in rural and small town Nawth Cearlina our boys still play with cap guns and have shoot 'em outs. All it takes is one trip to Tweetsie Railroad. We started out not allowing toy guns, but eventually realized that any stick with a bend in it served the same purpose. (I'll never forget our priest's wife talking about her 'toy gun forbidden' son using a cousin's Barbie doll, bent over at the hips for a substitute.)
    We do not, however, permit television and most of our friends with boys severely limit how much (and what)television the kids can watch. In our circle of friends we all have strict limits on the amount of time and the nature of video/computer games. We TALK to our kids about violence and aggression.
    Express concern to my boy or his closest friends that they might think guns or combat are glamerous, though, and they will all reply--gosh no, Mom, people get hurt in real gun fights or combat! I also notice that they spend most of their time working on their costumes, sneaking up, strategizing or arguing about 'THE RULES." (Actually, my kid much prefers sword fights.)
    BUT--we live where our kids do not see violence in the streets, and don't encounter much of it in school. Hopefully they do not see it at home either.

Janie