We lead with lever guns and single actions, but even a six-gun house keeps one modern 9mm on the shelf, and CZ's new DUTY 4.0 is the one we picked. It is the newest striker-fired pistol in a family that started with the CZ 75 and continued with the P-10. The serial number sits on an internal modular chassis, the grip frame is fiberglass-reinforced polymer, the barrel is 4 inches and unthreaded, and the sights are fixed. The slide is cut for direct-mount red dots.

For the Fort Worth, Amarillo and San Angelo crowd, the Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Guthrie folks, and anyone up around Cheyenne and Cody, it is a fair trade-off next to a revolver: 15+1 in the DUTY 4.0 C compact or 17+1 in the F full-size, a 5.6-pound SFDA trigger with a 4 mm reset, and the option of an MS model with a manual thumb safety for those who like a lever under the thumb.

The chassis is registered and modular, which is CZ's way of making the frame module swappable. The frame itself is fiberglass-reinforced polymer, 33 mm (1.3 in) wide, on a 102 mm barrel and a 188 mm (7.4 in) overall length. The SFDA trigger breaks at 25 ± 4 N (5.6 ± 0.9 lbs) and resets in 4 mm (0.16 in). Optics mount directly to the slide; the photos from CZ show Holosun, Aimpoint and Shield footprints.

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

There is no external safety on this model. Drop safety comes from the firing pin block, the trigger safety and the drawbar safety, the way most modern striker pistols are set up. If you want a frame-mounted lever, the MS version has one.

The CZ DUTY 4.0 C suits anyone who wants a modern optics-ready 9mm with CZ's grip and a trigger that is better than the class average: concealed carry where your state allows it, home defense, and range time that does not need a full-size grip.

We ship to FFL dealers nationwide. Name the dealer you want at checkout and the DUTY 4.0 goes to them; your dealer applies your state's law at pickup, whether that is a permit, a wait or only the federal background check. Live price and availability are confirmed as you order.

Questions buyers ask: How is the DUTY 4.0 different from a CZ P-10? The DUTY 4.0 is CZ's newer generation: a serialized modular chassis, a refined SFDA trigger and a direct-mount optics slide. CZ has not confirmed that P-10 magazines fit. Is there a version with a thumb safety for someone used to a single action? Yes. The DUTY 4.0 C MS and F MS add a manual thumb safety to the standard internal safeties. Does the CZ DUTY 4.0 C take CZ P-10 magazines? CZ lists the DUTY with its own 15-round magazine and an extended base plate for 17+1. P-10 magazine fit is not confirmed, so plan on DUTY magazines.