Toy Guns, Not Specified
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Toys & Children's Recreation · CPSC Code 1390
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Toy Guns, Not Specified carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,492 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,492
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 1.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1390 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toy guns, not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,492 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)1.6%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-6%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Toy Guns, Not Specified (CPSC product code 1390, in the Toys & Children's Recreation category) generate an estimated 1,492 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 29,844 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (2,725 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (504 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for toy guns, not specified is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 6,064 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by contusions, abr. to the eyeball (3,198 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 17,501 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 1.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 5 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how toy guns, not specified fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 4,384 | 1,342 | |
| 5-14 | 14,400 | 3,101 | |
| 15-24 | 1,230 | 1,242 | |
| 25-34 | 916 | 1,215 | |
| 35-44 | 527 | 332 | |
| 45-54 | 262 | 84 | |
| 55-64 | 217 | 369 | |
| 65-74 | 0 | 142 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 81 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Elbow | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Mouth | Dental Injury |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
13 YOM WAS SHOT BY TOY GUN IN EYE DX: ABRASION
22YOM WAS STRUCK IN THE RIGHT EYE WITH A *** GUN BULLET AT HOME DX: TRAUMATIC HYPHEMA OF RIGHT EYE
5YOM REPORTS WITH LACERATION TO NOSE AFTER BEING HIT WITH A PLASTIC TOY GUN BY HIS COUSIN. DX LACERATION TO NOSE.
28YOF C/O ANKLE AND FOOT PAIN WITH BRUISING S/P PT STATES HER NEPHEW ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED HIS *** GUN ON HER FOOT. DX: ACUTE RIGHT ANKLE PAIN; SPRAIN OF RIGHT FOOT
6YOM WAS PLAYING WITH A *** GUN AND WAS ACCIDENTALLY SHOT IN THE LEFT EYE DX CORNEAL ABRASION
13YOF STATES SHE WAS SHOT IN THE EYE 5 DAYS AGO WITH A *** GUN. RIGHT EYE, IMMEDIATE PAIN, SWELLING AND BLURRED VISION. DX: RIGHT EYE INJURY, ABRASION OF RIGHT CORNEA
8YOM PRESENTS WITH ABRASION. PATEINT WAS PLAYING WITH HIS BROTHER, THEY WERE PLAYING WITH *** GUNS WHEN THE GUN HIT HIS HEAD. DX: ABRASION
36YOM PRESENTS AFTER HE WAS PLAYING WITH A *** GUN WITH HIS KIDS WHEN HE TWISTED HIS KNEE. DX: KNEE PAIN
19YOM WAS IN THE PARK PLAYING *** WITH SEVERAL BUDDIES AND HIS CAR BEGAN TO PULL AWAY AND HE GRABBED THE DOOR HANDLE AND WAS DRUGGED SEVERAL FEET DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, SCALP HEMATOMA, HIP CONTUSION
9YOM WAS PLAYING WITH A *** GUN AND THE *** BULLET STRUCK HIM IN THE RIGHT EYE DX: CORNEAL ABRASION
8YOM WAS PLAYING AT A FRIENDS HOUSE WHEN HIS FRIEND GOT MAD AND HIT HIM IN THE FACE WITH A *** GUN DX: NASAL LACERATION
3YOF. PATIENT WITH PAIN TO HEAD AFTER BEING HIT WITH A TOY GUN NO LOC PT VOMITING X 1DX: CLOSE HEAD INJURY.
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Caller stated that he obtained a toy gun from a circus for his 7 year old child. He then noticed that the toy had laser beam on it. He feels that the toys at certain places like the circus is not being examined for safety, he had to cover up the laser beam on the toy with electrical tape. He also stated that the warning label is so small it is hardly legible. The manufacturer was not contacted as yet. The product is not included in a recall.
(7/30/2012) The consumer stated that her 3 year old son was playing with his toy gun. The gun was placed on a wooden table for approximately 2 minutes, when it started shooting on its own. When she walked over to the table the gun began to smoke and melted part of her wooden table and a piece of paper. The consumer picked up the item and placed it outside of her house, and took the batteries out. The manufacturer was not contacted, but will at a later time. The consumer plans on returning the item to the retailer today 8/1/2012 for a refund.
bought a true heros bazooka blaster from toys r us for my childs 4th bday, on the box it states ages 3 and up. My 4 year old got the shoulder strap that is permanetly attached to the gun around his neck and the straps had to be cut off as it choked him.
Bought this toy intended for my 8 yr old to operate it. Once my 8 yr old pushed the trigger, my toddler stuck her two index fingers into the opening where the bubbles were coming from. The rotating pieces/gears/part continued to move all while crushing my toddlers fingers almost breaking them. I was able to get it to stop by pushing the trigger again. Her fingers were crushed so tightly under the rotating part, it took several minutes trying to break the part to free her fingers. There are no safety features on this, that would prevent it to continue rotating causing physical harm/damage to any body parts/clothing/hair etc. this is a real danger!! What if it gets ahold of a childs necklace they are wearing? Luckily it was only bloody bruised fingers.
Caller stated that her 9 year old child right index finger got stuck in the bullet chamber of the toy gun. It was stuck for approximately 5-8 mins while she attempted to release the child's finger, it was eventually removed from the chamber after using olive oil on it. The child's finger was swollen and bruised after it was removed. No medical attention was received. The swollen and pain dissipated after a few days. 2/2015 Caller stated that she contacted the manufacturer and she was advised that a refund would be sent out to her, however, she had not received it. Caller feels that this toy is a safety hazard to children and should be reported. The consumer added the specific name of gun is Air Warriors Range Master Extreme, and Walmart's number is 552744694..Consumer also noted she does not have product anymore so she can't look on it for an actual serial number.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to toy guns, not specified on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are toy guns, not specified?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, toy guns, not specified have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,492 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from toy guns, not specified?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 6,064 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from toy guns, not specified increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for toy guns, not specified injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 17,501 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by toy guns, not specified?
Of all ER visits involving toy guns, not specified, approximately 1.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with toy guns, not specified?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Toys & Children's Recreation
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 32/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
