steel charging handles yea or nea?

[CCW]

If you go with Al on the charging handle, get 7075 and "hard coat" anodized. Some folks use 6061 and decorative black anodize. If you use the charging handle much, the hard coat inside the upper can wear through the thin decorative anodize on the handle stem and create ugly bright metal scratches down to base metal on the charging handle, and build up operating friction from thereon.