Hello all, thanks for taking the time to read my thread and all replies are appreciated. I am not a smith or a engineer. I do have a nice set of calipers and I know how to read them and I am a bit curious. I love my LCP, I have at least 500 trouble free rounds down range with it. So the proof that the barrel works well is evident. I am just amazed at how thin a section of barrel is. Outside diameter is .378 at the narrowest point and the inside diameter is .352 and the difference is .026 that divided by 2 gives me a barrel wall thickness at the thinnest point is .013 , that is about the same thickness of a nice business card. Is there a reason that they made it so thin, besides cost, although it probably cost more to to machine that depression than to not and leave it the same diameter as rest of out side diameter. Obviously it will hold the pressure but why ??? Is it because the pressure is not a issue at that point in the barrel and they used the extra room created to reinforce the slide at that point ?? I am betting it is something obvious that a novice like me doesnt see. Those numbers are just eye opening. Sorry for the long winded thread I just felt it necessary to explain my question. Thank you.