Hill Country and South Texas get CZ's new striker pistol at the same time as everyone else, and it is worth the look. The DUTY 4.0 is a 9x19mm with CZ's refined SFDA trigger (5.6-pound pull, 4 mm reset), a 4-inch unthreaded barrel, fixed sights and a direct-mount optics-ready slide. What is new underneath is the serialized modular chassis: the serial number is on the internal unit, so the fiberglass-reinforced polymer grip frame around it is modular. MSRP is $729.

Think of it as two pistols. Around San Antonio, New Braunfels and San Marcos, the DUTY 4.0 C compact at 15+1 and 5.3 inches tall is the carry gun. Out toward Boerne, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Hondo and Floresville, the DUTY 4.0 F full-size at 17+1 and 5.6 inches is the truck and ranch-house gun. Extended base plates add two rounds to each. MS versions carry a manual thumb safety.

Three things define the DUTY 4.0. First, a registered modular chassis: the registered 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), 0.16 in (4 mm) 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 dot sight sits low without a stack of plates.

Capacity on the short-grip is 15+1, with a 17+1 option through the extended base plate. Height is 5.3 in (135 mm) and the empty weight 27.2 oz (770 g). If you carry, this is the DUTY to look at; if you mostly shoot at the range, see the F.

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

Best fit: daily carry, a bedside gun that also rides along, and new shooters who want one pistol for everything. Shooters coming from a CZ 75 will recognize the grip angle; shooters coming from any other striker gun will notice the trigger first.

Texas issues no purchase permit and sets no waiting period. Name the Texas dealer you want at checkout and the DUTY 4.0 ships to them; the dealer runs the background check at pickup and you walk out with it. Ammunition and gear head straight to your door. Price and stock are confirmed live before the order goes through.

Questions buyers ask: Is there a wait to pick up a handgun in Texas? No. Texas has no purchase permit and no waiting period; your dealer runs the background check and releases it the same visit. How wide is the DUTY 4.0 for inside-the-waistband carry? 1.3 inches across the slide and frame on both C and F. The C is the shorter grip at 5.3 inches tall. What does MS mean on the CZ DUTY 4.0 C MS? Manual safety. It adds a frame-mounted lever to the firing pin block, trigger safety and trigger-bar safety that every DUTY has.