It doesn't seem very durable.

Its anodized aluminum. Clear on the stainless guns, dyed black on the carbon steel guns. Same as most other manufacturers.

The finish on the frame (alloy) of my 6906 doesn't look clear it looks like sort of a tan or gray finish which can rub off.

Anodizing dulls over time. Wish I knew of a way to bring back the shine. Maybe someone on the board knows a trick to revive the finish. Aluminum corrodes when in contact with the air. Anodize is an attempt to seal the aluminum. Maybe the dulling is function of this reaction.

Just a guess.

Out West

Hard coat aluminum anodizing is the same composition as decorative aluminum anodizing, just thicker. It is actually a surface conversion to a ceramic (aluminum oxide). Believe it or not it is harder than hardened steel and very wear resistant to sliding wear. The only problem is that since it is only a few thousandths of an inch thick it is easily scratched if anything digs into the coating, breaking through the hardcoat and into the soft aluminum underneath.

I have a 6906 with an alloy frame. The guns is perhaps around eight years old as far as I can determine although I am not the original owner.

It shows significant although honest wear from holstering but has been fired very little from the looks of it.

The wear has rubbed down to the aluminum not so much from sratching but just rubbing as it is smooth and shiny in the places it would contact the holster and it symmetrical occurring at the same place on both sides of the gun.

I also have a SIG P220 which has been holstered and with the exception of wear on the trigger guard where I expect there was retention the anodizing is all but intact.

Obviously it is impossible to know if both guns were holstered the same amount but in my experience the anodizing and finish on the S&Ws I've seen does not seem to hold up like the finish on most of the SIGs I've seen.

I'm not dissing S&W just wondering if they finish is just not very durable and why they would continue to use it over the years.

The wear is probably there on the SIG, or any black aluminum frame S&W, but it does show up the same way it does on the light colored 6906.

I have a 469 that I am sending off to Mahovsky's to have electroless nickel plated. Anyone have any experiance with them? It too has seen holster wear over the years and I got a great deal on a nickel (so they said) but I think it is stainless slide for it to make it more resistant to rust here in Florida. How do you tell if the slide is in fact stainless or nickel plated?

I have two revolvers that were refinished with Mahovsky's electroless nickel plating and after much holster use see no wear.

Tom