Mac,
Did you read my post above? Concerning wear?
It's an old post but my experiences have remained consistent.
Consider if you will, a 5" 1911 carried in a Kydex inside the waistband holster at the 4 o'clock position. Steel frame and slide, blasted with fresh 120 grit Aluminum Oxide, manganese phosphated and coated with GunKote Matte Black applied with a double action airbrush and a .5mm auto touch up gun. Oven cured in a temperature verified oven per manufacturer specifications. Kydex is shiny side in, holster will retain the pistol when inverted. Secure retention, but no struggle to draw and reholster.
Can you very roughly estimate the number of presentations before the end of the slide would show wear to base metal?
I'll stick with my earlier approximation.
One thing I've learned over the years is that wear will and can occur even without much in and out. In my case it's most evident when 4-wheelin' in my '74 Chevy with my 1911 carried IWB. Each 'bump' shifts the gun ever so slightly in its holster. Add in airborn particulates, and you have a version of the Tabor Abrasion Test occuring with every tankful of gas.
The 'new, hi-tech' PVD finishes such as those offered by IonBond may provide a partial solution. My understanding is that they provide only minimal corrosion protection. PVD over hard chrome should help.
The melonite/tenifer finishes require temperatures that will have a metallurgical effect on modern gun steels.
Currently I'm preferring Cerakote applied over manganese phosphate. I find it to be noticeably more abrasion and chip resistant than the GK products but significantly more difficult to properly apply.
Long post.....work is calling. I'd enjoy a reasonable discussion on this subject.
More later, if indicated.