Out in Hunterdon County, and really across all 21 New Jersey counties, the question with any new pistol is simple: is it worth a handgun permit? CZ's DUTY 4.0 makes a strong case. It is the company's new-generation striker-fired 9x19mm, with the serial number on an internal chassis so the fiberglass-reinforced polymer grip frame is modular. The SFDA trigger has been refined to a 5.6-pound pull, 9 mm of travel and a 4 mm reset. Each model wears a 4-inch unthreaded barrel, fixed sights and a slide ready for a direct-mount red dot.

New Jersey shooters from High Bridge and Phillipsburg to Somerville, New Brunswick, Freehold, Newark and Jersey City mostly buy a gun like this for home defense and club shooting. The DUTY 4.0 C compact is 5.3 inches tall and 27.2 ounces; the F full-size is 5.6 inches and 27.5 ounces. The MS versions add a manual thumb safety to the three internal safeties.

Pick the F when the gun lives on a belt or in a nightstand rather than under a T-shirt. Over the short-grip it adds two rounds (17+1 against 15+1), about 8 mm of grip and 10 g of weight, and nothing else changes.

No external safety here. The firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger bar safety handle drop safety, and the holster handles the rest. CZ sells the same gun with a frame-mounted lever as the MS model.

Three things define the DUTY 4.0. First, a serial-numbered modular chassis: the serial-numbered part is inside, the grip frame around it is modular. Second, the trigger, a striker SFDA rated at 25 ± 4 N (5.6 ± 0.9 lbs), 4 mm (0.16 in) reset, 9 ± 1 mm (0.4 ± 0.04 in) travel, which is short and repeatable for a service pistol. Third, a direct-mount optics-ready slide, shown by CZ with Holosun, Aimpoint and Shield dots fitted, so a optic sits low without a stack of plates.

Best fit: the belt, the nightstand 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; buyers coming from any other striker gun will notice the trigger first.

New Jersey requires a separate permit to purchase for each handgun, and a firearms purchaser identification card for long guns; once the permit is in hand there is no extra waiting period. The DUTY 4.0 ships to the New Jersey dealer you choose at checkout, and that dealer applies the state's rules at pickup. Ammunition and gear come to your door. Stock and price get a live check at checkout, before you pay.

Questions buyers ask: What paperwork do I need for a DUTY 4.0 in New Jersey? A New Jersey permit to purchase a handgun, one per handgun. Bring it to the dealer you chose at checkout; the dealer will walk you through anything state-specific. Which DUTY 4.0 fits a home-defense role best? The F full-size gives the longest grip and sits well in a bedside safe; the C compact is easier to handle for smaller hands. Both take a red dot. How many rounds does the CZ DUTY 4.0 F hold? 17+1 with the standard magazine and 19+1 with the extended floor plate.