The pressure-containing and mechanical operating components of a gun need to withstand a considerable amount of physical stress. Removing too much material will

The pressure-containing and mechanical operating components of a gun need to withstand a considerable amount of physical stress. Removing too much material will result in a gun that is not very durable and potentially dangerous to its user. Furthermore, in most semi-automatic pistols, the mass of the slide is part of the system that keeps the cartridge in the chamber until the pressure has dropped to a safe level. Reducing mass there requires a stiffer spring, longer slide travel or both. The smallest commercially made gun I could find currently available weighs 4 ounces: http://northamericanarms.com/firearms/s/s.html http://northamericanarms.com/firearms/s/s.html Being very low-powered, I doubt it has unbearable recoil, but it doesn't appear to have much in the way of practical use. Maybe concealment in undergarments?