Buying a first handgun in New Jersey takes patience, so it makes sense to spend the permit on a pistol you will keep, and CZ's new DUTY 4.0 is a sound candidate. It is a striker-fired 9x19 built on a serialized internal chassis; the fiberglass-reinforced polymer grip frame is the modular part. The slide takes a red dot directly and keeps fixed sights, and the 4-inch barrel is not threaded. The refined SFDA trigger is rated 5.6±0.9 lbs.

CZ makes four versions: the compact DUTY 4.0 C (770 g, 135 mm tall) and the full-size DUTY 4.0 F (780 g, 143 mm tall), each sold plain or as an MS model with a manual thumb safety. For a home-defense pistol in Newark, Jersey City or Paterson, or a range gun for New Brunswick, Somerville and down to Trenton, Camden and Mount Holly, the F shoots easier and the C saves height. Your New Jersey dealer confirms the model and magazine setup is NJ-legal before you order. MSRP $729.

Under the DUTY name sits a serialized modular chassis, a 1.3 in (33 mm) wide fiberglass-reinforced polymer frame, a 4-inch barrel and a trigger CZ rates at 25 ± 4 N (5.6 ± 0.9 lbs) with a 0.16 in (4 mm) reset. The slide is optics-ready by direct mount rather than an adapter plate. Fixed sights come standard, and the barrel is not threaded.

The C is the short-grip frame. It stands 5.3 in (135 mm) tall, weighs 27.2 oz (770 g) with an empty magazine and carries 15+1 rounds of 9mm, or 17+1 once the longer base plate is fitted. Short enough to hide under a shirt, long enough to get every finger on the grip.

This version has no external safety lever. It relies on three automatic safeties, firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger-bar safety, and the trigger is the same as on the MS model. Shooters who prefer a lever should pick the MS.

Best fit: daily carry, a home-defense gun that also rides along, and new shooters who want one pistol for everything. Shooters coming from a CZ 75 will recognize the grip angle; shooters coming from any other striker gun will notice the trigger first.

New Jersey restricts certain firearms and magazines over 10 rounds, so confirm with your dealer that the DUTY 4.0 model you want is NJ-legal before you order; the dealer supplies compliant magazines where required. Each handgun needs its own Permit to Purchase. At checkout, name the New Jersey dealer you want and the pistol ships to them; your dealer runs the check at pickup.

Questions buyers ask: Is the CZ DUTY 4.0 legal in New Jersey? Confirm with your New Jersey dealer before you order. New Jersey restricts certain firearms and magazines over 10 rounds, and your dealer supplies compliant magazines where required. What paperwork do I need for a handgun in NJ? Each handgun needs its own Permit to Purchase. Your dealer checks it and runs the background check at pickup. Does the CZ DUTY 4.0 C take CZ P-10 magazines? CZ lists the DUTY with its own 15-round magazine and an longer base plate for 17+1. P-10 magazine fit is not confirmed, so plan on DUTY magazines.