I believe everybody should learn about guns: how to handle them, and how to shoot them. I imagine that could go a long way toward addressing some gun issues (like accidental shootings). It wouldn’t be a silver bullet; I’m not that naive, but kids learning gun safety might not be a bad thing.
That said, I don’t care how colorful they make them, whether out of plastic or metal, there is no reason to make guns into toys. That clearly sends the wrong message.
I do enjoy nerf guns, so I’d consider them exceptions. Their designs, that I’ve seen, do not resemble real guns. But I understand not everyone may feel the same way and would want to abolish them too.