Zeromaeus said:
Well a functional gun-blade would technically be a replica since the original never existed.
It's actually sort of debatable. Strictly speaking, a replica is an exact or at least very close imitation. But for objects that actually had a function in the first place, 'replica' carries the unspoken understanding that only the
appearance of the original is carried over, not any of its unique qualities. This is especially true of weapons; generally speaking, replica guns don't fire and replica swords snap.
If the thing actually does work, though, it's usually called a 'reproduction,' not a replica, to signify that, while it isn't an original, it is at least on par with one in looks
and functionality, like a reproduction Colt revolver or a reproduction Shelby Cobra.
But in the context of the Internet, there's not much point in asking what you would have that was a functional reproduction of the original. I mean, if we're just wishing, then the thread itself is just a reproduction of one asking what, if anything, you would want to have, period, and I really don't think that's the object of this thread.
It's not like having a non-functional, replica gunblade wouldn't still be pretty cool.