I bought six (6) Model 10 police trade-ins a few years ago for my kids & nephew. None of them are pretty, but they all work. While not abusing them, I figure they can be the guns that get the joy of working with kids, who drop stuff, smack stuff into other stuff, etc.
My duty gun is a Kimber. I have custom grips with sentimental type pieces inlaid into them. It is also engraved. However, it rides in a Sam Browne every day of it's life. Therefore, it gets beat up. It is amazing how it gets scratched while wrestling with crooks, nice and wet when it snows, dirty as heck during training classes, etc. I trust my life to it, but it gets beat up, just like I do. There is a difference between use and abuse/neglect.