The gunblade doesn't shoot in FFVIII. When the trigger is pulled, a charge is set off inside the blade that causes it to vibrate and thus do more damage. As heavy as the gunblade is, it could cause severe lacerations with even a glancing blow.

Most of the fictional weapons they've made are of fairly poor quality. I don't collect pieces strictly for display; every sword I own can potentially be used to kill or seriously injure any threat to my safety or the safety of my family. My favored weapon is a short sword or katana; in the event of an attempted robbery or act of thievery, it's easier to use than a gun in extremely close quarters.

Probably my favorite story is when some stupid idiot tried to break into my friend's apartment at 6 in the morning. First, they rapped on the goddamn door for like ten minutes. Then, they banged on the foil covering his windows, which was extremely loud and woke him up. He has several swords of multiple styles lying within easy reach and readily visible. Somehow, the sight of these swords didn't dissuade the would-be robbers; obviously, they aren't the brightest lightsabers in the sheath. Eventually, they actually began trying to get in. Fortunately, my friend had an air rifle lying around; he simply cocked the weapon, and in the dark, they couldn't tell the difference between an air rifle and a real rifle. They fled, taking a screen door with them. We haven't seen it since.