If this is your first handgun, here is the plain version. The CZ DUTY 4.0 is a new striker-fired 9mm, which means a simple trigger with no hammer to cock and no decocker to learn. It holds 15 rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber as the C compact, or 17 plus one as the F full-size. Both have a 4-inch barrel, fixed sights with nothing to adjust, and a slide you can add a red dot to later.

The frame is fiberglass-reinforced polymer, light at 770 to 780 g, and the serial number lives on the internal chassis. If you would rather have a thumb safety, pick the MS version of either size. Whether you are in Amarillo, Waco, Huntsville, Fayetteville or Cedar Rapids, the pull is the same 5.6 pounds and the MSRP is $729, which buys a lot of pistol for a first gun.

The chassis is registered and modular, which is CZ's way of making the polymer grip swappable. The frame itself is fiberglass-reinforced polymer, 33 mm (1.3 in) wide, on a 4-inch 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.

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

MS stands for external safety. This model adds a thumb lever to the passive safeties every DUTY has: the firing pin block, the trigger safety and the trigger bar safety. Agencies and shooters who want a positive on/off control choose this version; the trigger itself is unchanged.

Best fit: the belt, the bedside 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.

Name any licensed dealer in your state and the firearm ships to them for the background check; the dealer applies your state's rules at pickup and will walk you through them. Not sure which dealer? Most gun shops with an FFL will receive it, so ask the one nearest you. Stock and price are re-checked against the distributor the moment you order.

Questions buyers ask: What does striker-fired mean for a beginner? There is no external hammer and no decocker; every trigger pull is the same 5.6 pounds, so there is less to learn than on a hammer-fired pistol. Should a first-time buyer get the MS version? The MS adds a manual thumb safety on top of the built-in firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger bar safety. Some new owners like the extra lever; others prefer the simpler standard model. Both are safe when handled correctly. 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.