[jyl]

Slight tangent - it has always bothered me that semi-auto pistols are so thick. It seems that a small-caliber pistol need be no thicker than the barrel at the chamber. There is no absolute need for a slide that envelopes the barrel. There are plenty of older pistols with fixed barrels, where the cycling part of the mechanism is entirely behind the breech. With gas-delayed systems, it seems these could also handle larger calibers. A single-stack magazine in a slim grip needn't be thicker than the barrel. Alternatively, the pistol could use stripper clips, or the magazine could be the grip. I'd like to have a double-action pistol that is only as thick as a 9mm barrel, alloy and polymer for lightest weight, that holds six rounds, with no external safety, designed for practical accuracy to 20 feet. Basically it should be functionally equivalent to an alloy J-frame but thinner and even lighter.