[kidneythief]

It can get rather thick.

Powdercoat is generally more durable than anodize due to its thickness. It however it isnt harder than anodize its self.

The marker will most likely have to be stripped before powedercoat so that the paint has something to adhere to. This is something you'll have to discuss with your powder coater though. The stripper wont hurt the gun if done properly. The stripper that I use will remove only the anodized layer if properly watched.

Anodize isnt a "corrosive dye" and could easily fall into the "coating" category. Many folks share a common misconception about what exactly anodize is. Anodize is actually a controlled oxidization(rust) which grows a layer of clear/hard aluminum oxide. Which can be dyed or left "clear". It comes in three varieties, type I, type II and type III. Most Paintball or home anno will be Type II aproximatly .001" thick. However a decent home set-up can get you around the type III catagory at around .003-4".

Anodize can be around 2-5 times harder than the base metal and extremely scratch resistant. It really depends on what you want.

-Jake