This is just a test I made, but seeing it like this makes it a complete art piece in itself. I'm using it for my animations so I can seamlessly integrate 3D objects into my 2D animation style. It would be perfect for not only guns, but melee weapons, musical instruments, vehicles, and other handheld objects. I could even go far and use it for whole 3D environments.

I quickly modeled the MAC-10 in Maya, and made some shaders in Cinema4D. This is what I came up with, and it's not too bad in my opinion. It's not perfect, but it's good enough for an animation.