The finish should be shiny and smooth. Not machined finish or polished smooth, but chrome bumper/ hyd cylinder rod smooth. It is a hard chrome plating and not of the same variety that bumpers and such use. This stuff is most likely 50rc or better.

Try hitting the shaft lightly with a file and see if you can score the finish. If not....most likely HC plated, if it scratches easily probably not HC plated.

Hit the web and search for Industrial Hard Chrome Cylinder Rod and look at diferent pics for a better visual reference of what HC plating looks like.