We all had cap pistols and often spring=propelled BB Guns, the Red Rider model was the mostsought after when I was young. As a farm kid, I had the use of a .22 calibre rifle during all of my youth, once I had demonstrated that I would not use it recklessly. Today that would be considered child endangerment. But those of us who went to Boy Scout Camp had the chance to learn Archery as well as Rifle Shooting, and Shotgun Shooting has been added to those two sports, as a contemporary Merit Badge.

I suppose the big difference was that the US was far less populated, and wide open rural areas were still around. Oh, and of course there was more individual responsibility and respect for the law. That probably came from the fact that most urban kids lived in neighborhood where any neighbor observing an infraction of the rules would mention the fact to your parents and they'd have a heart to heart or hand to butt discussion of the matter with you.

Dave