This is my 642-1, purchased in January. This picture was taken after about 7-7.5 months:



There's some other wear, but it's not as significant as this. Plus those pictures turned out even worse than this one. A photographer, I am not.

BTW, there is noticeably more wear on the backstrap now than when this picture was taken 2-4 weeks ago.

I will say this gun has been handled a lot in firing about 700 rounds and regular dry-fire practice drills. It's also been my primary carry gun during a hot and humid summer.

Having said that, I would probably purchase another 642 as I like the stainless steel construction. I think it's less likely to develop rust issues than the carbon steel of the 442 with the same level of care. That's more important to me than the appearance of the alloy frame's finish. At some point I'll probably get it refinished by someone like Robar.

If I do get another 642 I'll probably try applying some wax as I've read it can help. I don't have any Renaissance Wax, but I have used Blue Wonder Armadillo wax on my 65 with good results.

I almost forgot to mention that I've only used Break Free for cleaning in the time I've owned it.