Nylon.....I have the Charter 2000 in .44 special. Bought it about one year ago for $250.00 out the door here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I wanted one for a lifetime and when Charter Arms went out of business some years back and I seen them selling off at $160.00 in blue......well I missed out and did'nt get one then. And as I said above, I own one now. It is brushed S/S in snubby barrel length and has a chopped hammer, so it is DAO for all practical purposes.
Yes it is light, inexpensive, attractive to me and others who have seen it, I carry it on occasion CCW and when it isn't on me, it is setting up on the top of my dresser, loaded and ready to render its help if called upon in the darkness of night.
I have run over two hundred rounds through it and had no problems.
I did take the dremmel and knocked off the rough edges around the rubberized grips, and then took an emery board (my wifes' finger nail file) and gently filed down the sharp edges on and around the trigger guard which I felt on the out edges. Please be safe and make sure the firearm is unloaded when doing the above prodedures. Good shooting.
Ed