I have shot a comparable number of shots out of my '06 Old Glory and have not noticed any camo wear either. The only way you would be able to compare a loss of speed is with a standard black, unpainted cable rod. I haven't looked at mine yet but I would assume they are glued in? I cannot imagine the speed loss would be significant..maybe 1-2 fps if at all, especially when you consider the distance the slide actually travels on the rod itself.