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.

The chassis is serialized and modular, which is CZ's way of making the grip module swappable. The frame itself is fiberglass-reinforced polymer, 1.3 in (33 mm) wide, on a 4-inch barrel and a 7.4 in (188 mm) overall length. The SFDA trigger breaks at 25 ± 4 N (5.6 ± 0.9 lbs) and resets in 0.16 in (4 mm). Optics mount directly to the slide; the photos from CZ show Holosun, Aimpoint and Shield footprints.

Compact means 15+1 rounds in a frame 5.3 in (135 mm) high. Fit the longer base plate and it holds 17+1. At 27.2 oz (770 g) unloaded it sits between a pocket pistol and a service-size gun, which is exactly where a carry-and-home-defense 9mm belongs.

A manual safety is the one thing that separates this model from its sibling. It sits beside the three automatic safeties, firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger-bar safety, and does not change the trigger pull.

Who is it for: concealed carry where your state allows it, home defense, and range time that does not need a service-size grip. If you already shoot a P-10, the DUTY is the next step in the same family, with a new chassis and the optics done right.

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. What does MS mean on the CZ DUTY 4.0 C MS? Manual safety. It adds a thumb safety lever to the firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger-bar safety that every DUTY has.