Returning from PHX a few years ago, where we went for a vacation, we were stopped at security where they said we couldn't bring on some cheesy-looking toy pistols that we had bought my son. They were the silver-colored kind with barrels about the thickness of a pencil, and don't shoot caps or anything else. We argued with security, but they would not budge, so we stowed them in a carryon, and checked the carryon.
Djlawman