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On a blued gun, a finish is more than just cosmetic, it also provides some measure (albeit limited) of corrosion protection. Cosmetic wear on a "work" gun doesn't bother me. Loss of corrosion protection does. That's why none of my "work" guns have blued finishes.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that cosmetic wear on a work gun is not only expected and inevitable, it's also irrelevant, as far as I'm concerned. Things that are used show evidence of use sooner or later, and while I don't abuse my tools and I maintain them per the manufacturer's recommendations, I don't get bent out of shape when I get a rock chip on the hood of the car, a door ding, or when my carry gun starts to show holster wear.
Along the same lines, I'm not willing to spend time agonizing over some way to make an old gun that is used daily look keep looking like it's new or parking a mile from the doors of the supermarket to try to avoid door dings. The gun/car is there to serve me, not the other way around. I'll take care of a gun/car so it keeps working for a reasonable service life and doesn't deteriorate from neglect, but normal wear and tear is going to accumulate and that's just life.
I don't look forward to those things, but I also think, on some level, that they are a sort of badge of honor. Like the "burn rings"/carbon scoring on the front of a well-used and frequently shot revolver.
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