Honestly it looks like sch40 emt, but I could be wrong. Its actually not that hard to drill or tap, but it is prone to long cracks when you do apply to much pressure
I've had no problem with the PVC I use... I drill it with a drill press and tap it... I'm not gentle with the hilts I build at all... I have yet for a hilt to crack on me... and we sand out the back end for the battery packs, granted there's usually a pommel over that section but still.