The Hasbro blaster just looks too small in my opinion & doesn't look the right proportion in an adults hands.
The little bit of weight that is there isn't bad with a an authentic version. I am pretty protective of my EE-3 due to it being a scratch build, way too many hours in the construction, even my kids are afraid to touch it, so needless to say it stays in my hands when I troop.
From what I have seen the Hyperfirm's are very durable & if I had one of those I wouldn't have a problem letting fans hold it for photos.