My friend has had a gun, an S&W 19 that was refinished in one of the hard chrome finishes and a Beretta 92 in "MP3". Both have been carried a lot and look brand new. The Beretta is really smooth and I like the looks of it. The only visible wear on either gun is on the triggers and hammers where the frame/slide has rubbed on them, both are just shinier than the rest of the guns are.

I would pay $700-800 for a 29/629 in MP3 anytime. It will look the same 30 years from now with almost zero care.