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.

Capacity on the service-size is 17+1 standard and 19+1 with the longer base plate. Height 5.6 in (143 mm), empty weight 27.7 oz (780 g). It is the duty-belt, range and home-defense version of the line, and the one most shooters find easiest to shoot well.

The MS model carries a frame-mounted manual safety on top of the firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger-bar safety. Everything else, chassis, trigger, slide and optics cut, is the same as the version without the lever.

CZ built the DUTY around a serialized chassis that the polymer grip module wraps around, the same idea that lets a shooter change frame size without buying a new serialized gun. The trigger is a refined SFDA striker unit, 25 ± 4 N (5.6 ± 0.9 lbs) pull, 0.16 in (4 mm) reset, 9 ± 1 mm (0.4 ± 0.04 in) travel. The slide takes optics by direct mounting; CZ's product photos show Holosun, Aimpoint and Shield units in place. Sights are fixed, the 4-inch barrel is not threaded.

Best fit: the belt, the home-defense and the range; the version to buy if you rarely need to hide the gun. 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. Is the CZ DUTY 4.0 F MS the same gun as the F? Yes, apart from the manual thumb safety. Chassis, trigger, slide and the 17+1 capacity are identical.