My Mom bought me squirt-guns, cap-guns, toy hand-gernades and once a machine gun that looked like a M-1919 tripod and all. But her generation had just finished fighting WWII and Korea. She had lost a brother and a brother in-law in the Pacific and my oldest brother was in Korea. She knew we had to learn how to fight and learn early.
My childhood Christmas presents were cap pistols with rolls of caps. Also got cowboy hats and shirts. Roy Rodgers was my favorite TV show. My Aunt got me a Wondor Horse spring rocking horse in 1960 for my 2nd birthday.
The spring rocking horse is still in my garage gathering rust. The only childhood toy I ever kept. The kids in the neighborhood loved it 20 years ago when my daughter was little girl.