Thanks Night Giant. That helps me. I didn't understand smoothing groups, except if my model didn't smooth correctly with the material I would reset them. Your post helps me understand them now.
@AaoronG,
I really like the gun and I too would model all the parts. It shows the quality of modeling skills. And when presenting just the model, people would be criticizing a lower-poly version wondering where the detail is. So if your trying to demonstrate your modeling skills it may not be the best idea to post a low-poly, especially if your intention is to possibly sell it later on, and it may not just be for a game.
You could always go back in afterward and make a lower poly version with textures to do the work, but I see nothing wrong with making it look good to begin with.
It's great to have a high-poly version and a low one, especially if your not sure of how well the texture will work (once it's applied, and whoever creates it if you don't plan to).
Most models I see for sale have a high-poly and low-poly version. The model creator can't always be sure how the model will be used by an end-user. It's sometimes easier to create the High-Poly version first, and then convert it to a lower poly. Then again I am new to modeling, so perhaps it's just easier for me to do it that way.
