When I was a non-US kid and watched cartoons in the 90s I never did think the guns in cartoons are lasers. I always assumed they are real guns who shoot bullets.

Why?
No idea. I think I assumed they draw the lines so it is easier to see if a weapon is fired especially on small CRT TVs.

Only as a grown man did I encounter on the internet the entire censorship thing where real guns are not allowed.

Did others AS CHILDREN also assumed that these are real guns with real bullets? Maybe because we watched shit loads of prehistoric anime that did have real guns all over the place?

Of course there was plasma and lasers however they looked totally different.

How was it for US children?