While Heckler & Koch's USA subsidiary offered several notably popular handgun models for the American market, notably its VP9 line of polymer-frame, striker-fired handguns, a truly micro-compact, easily concealable offering wasn't forthcoming, even as the micro-compact concept took off. Several years in, though, a corporate restructuring allowed HK USA to tackle the concept, and the result was the well-built CC9. Watch our "Gun of the Week" video above to see the CC9 in action on the range.
"If your thoughts when you hear 'Heckler & Koch' and 'handgun' go to the 'horse pistol' Mk23, you're going to be surprised at what we have today," American Rifleman Executive Editor Jay Grazio said. "We've got Heckler & Koch's CC9, which is the first American-made HK, and it is designed squarely at the American concealed-carry market. This is another micro, 9 millimeter, double-stack pistol, but with HK refinements."
Notably, HK USA built the CC9 with a chassis-style receiver that sits within an unserialized polymer grip frame. The chassis includes full-length guide rails, an integrated locking block and well-protected areas for critical components like action parts and slide-release levers.
"It has a grip distance the same as its larger VP9, so it's very comfortable to shoot," Grazio said. "It has this excellent grip texture. You have cocking serrations fore and aft. It has a front night sight with a green surround, serrated black rear sight and an optics cut for both RMSc and Holosun K series footprints."
To further fit the handgun to a user's hand, Heckler & Koch ships the CC9 with a small and large backstrap, allowing shooters to choose which option better fits the frame to their hand. Another bonus is the fact that taking down the CC9 does not require pulling the trigger, unlike many other handguns on the market, providing an additional safety margin for users.
"What you really need to do to fully experience this is take it to the range and shoot it," Grazio said. "It does not shoot like a small gun. It shoots like a much larger pistol."
For more information on the Heckler & Koch CC9, visit hk-usa.com.
