The U.S.-Made HK CC9: Designed For American Shooters

A New Gun For A New Era

The introduction of the new HK CC9 micro-compact pistol represents a significant change for the German gunmaker Heckler & Koch.

The CC9 has been under development at HK-USA’s facility in Columbus, Georgia, for more than five years; I saw mockups of the gun in late 2017. It is the first HK pistol ever designed in the U.S. for the American shooting public. It’s also the first HK pistol designed specifically for the civilian/commercial market.

Every other firearm produced by HK has been the result of a government military or law enforcement contract, but the CC9 was built especially for the commercial market, specifically, the concealed-carry self-defense market.  

CC9 Has Plenty Of HK DNA

The CC9 is HK through and through. While it’s a micro-compact pistol designed for concealed carry, it represents a leap forward in its class.

The CC9 meets, or in some cases, exceeds the government/military standards required of HK’s duty pistols, like the VP9. This means it has undergone every test that military pistols go through. The formal testing protocol includes extreme heat and cold, various debris, and extensive durability and reliability testing.

During the development process, HK-USA fired more than 750,000 rounds through the CC9; 100,000 rounds of that were Federal HST 147 grain +P!

Being designed for concealed carry does not mean it is the smallest, or lightest, pistol in the class. The CC9 is specifically built to be small enough to carry comfortably while also being large enough for most people to shoot it well. This is a fine balance and HK-USA spent a lot of time and effort to achieve.

The pistol is devoid of any offending edges, making it comfortable to carry and manipulate. The ergonomic design of the frame and grip enhances its shootability while minimizing the felt recoil. All controls are completely ambidextrous, including the magazine release, which is an American-style button instead of the more European paddle release used on most HK pistols — another sign that this is a true HK-USA pistol design.

The sights feature a plain black rear sight and a green luminescent dot with a Tritium insert out in front. It comes optics-ready with a direct mounting system for any RMSc footprint red dot. The pistol ships with one 12-round magazine and one 10-round mag.

Shots Fired

Prior to the launch, HK-USA provided me with a production CC9. Throughout three range trips, I put 1,000 documented rounds through the new pistol. During the test, I shot 26 different loads, the majority being premium personal defense loads. The CC9 was 100% reliable with no malfunctions or other issues.

Stay tuned for an in-depth review.

HK CC9 Features & Specifications

MSRP: $699

• Ambidextrous controls include slide catch/release and magazine release (button-style)
• Changeable backstraps with small and large sizes
• Picatinny accessory rail
• Optics-ready with RMSC footprint
• Chassis-style platform
• Fully pre-cocked system

Sights: High-viz Tritium night front sight, blacked-out serrated rear
Barrel: 3.32 inches, hammer-forged cannon-grade steel
Rifling: Polygonal, 6-groove, 1:10 twist
Safety: trigger, firing pin, disassembly
Magazines: 12+1 capacity, ships with one 12-round mag and 1 10-round mag with pinky extension floorplate
OA Length: 6.03 inches
Width: 0.99 inches
Height with 10-round mag: 4.5 inches
Barrel Length: 3.32 inches
Trigger Pull: 5 pounds
Weight without mag: 18.4 ounces