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In reply to the discussion: Ohio boy, 13, shot and killed by police after pulling out BB gun [View all]benEzra
(12,148 posts)which IIRC are required to have a brightly colored muzzle. The bows that are sold in the sporting-goods section aren't toys, either, and I think you have to be 18 to buy either. The toys are sold in the toy section, not Sporting Goods.
A BB gun isn't a toy; it's a low-pressure .177-caliber target airgun that can be safely used indoors or with a rudimentary backstop, but they are capable of causing injury if misused, or killing small animals. And they aren't marketed to young children; I suspect you have to be 18 to buy one in most places. There is also a difference in target market between a Daisy Red Ryder and a Daisy training clone of your S&W 9mm.
I grew up shooting BB guns, as are my own children. They are also an excellent training tool for adults, which is the whole point of the similarities to the actual firearm (for the one you posted); you can shoot one of these safely in a suburban back yard or even indoors with a pellet trap, whereas you can't do that with your 9mm.