hey thanks pappenheimer! Does second life let you use outside software to make the models?

Here's the reduced version of the model, I trimmed it down to a total of 1270 polygons from 3k. It was important to keep the silhouette of the gun distinct while reducing polys. The outline of the gun is the most important because thats its "character".

Even though lots of definition was lost, such as sharp rims and ridges on the front grip area, the texture should be able to pick up the slack, and the normal map should add a bit more: