Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Announcing A New Standard
This week, HK-USA announced their long-awaited entrance into the micro compact space. The CC9 represents a new direction and commitment from HK-USA. It is the first HK product to be conceived, designed, and built in America. The CC9, “CC” for “Concealed Carry” is designed in the U.S. for the U.S. market. This is a significant change for the company. It represents over five years of development, testing, and validation. To that end, the CC9 may be the toughest, and most tested compact 9mm pistol on the market today.
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While that may seem like marketing rhetoric, the rhetoric is well-founded. Living only a few miles from HK-USA, I had the opportunity to watch the development of the CC9. It has been a remarkable process. I would like to thank the entire crew at HK-USA for their friendship and their cooperation.
Development of the CC9
During the five years of development, the CC9 underwent multiple design changes to meet the stringent requirements set forth in the concept document. The goal was to have the pistol meet, or exceed HK’s standards for full-size duty guns. The HK have never made a smaller pistol. It meets the NATO AXC/225 requirements for reliability and durability. However, the NATO test is shot only using 9mm 124 gr. NATO ball.
The CC9 has also met the same requirements using American commercial ammunitions. During the development process, HK-USA expended over 750,000 round of ammunition to ensure that the CC9 met expectations. In the past, compact pistols were not expected to have the reliability and service life as full-size duty pistols. That is not the case with the CC9!
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Design And Impressions
The CC9 is a polymer frame, chassis-style platform, with all the features of a modern compact pistol. The firing system is a pre-cocked, striker design, with a trigger that breaks around 5 lbs. with minimal over-travel. It features a robust safety system that includes a trigger safety, a drop safety/firing pin disconnector, and a safe takedown design. The safe takedown design prevents the pistol from being disassembled with a magazine seated in the gun. In addition, when the pistol is field stripped, it cannot be reassembled with a magazine in the pistol.
HK designed the polymer frame with a contoured shape that allows for a positive purchase without any sharp edges. The texture on the side panels, front strap, and back strap, is designed to improve the grip without being abrasive. The CC9 ships with a standard size and a large backstrap. These are easy to change with the removal of a roll pin. The large backstrap gives the CC9 the feel and length of pull, of a full-size duty pistol without, an increase is the overall dimensions of the gun.
CC9 Features
The CC9 has fully ambidextrous controls, something not found on similar pistols of this class. An abbreviated accessory rail will accommodate a compact weapon-mounted light such as the SureFire XSC. The pistol is shipped with a flush 10 magazine and a 12-round magazine that has a small finger extension.
The polymer frame on the CC9 contours to provide a positive purchase without having any abrasive edges. Note the right side, ambidextrous magazine release and slide stop.
The CC9 has interchangeable backstraps with a simple removed of the roll pin.
Optics And Sights
On the top end, the CC9 is an optic-ready design that will accept any RMSc footprint optic without the need for any adaptor plates. The rear sight is a plain square notch that is void of other markings, such as dots or lines. The front sight features a green luminescent dot with a Tritium insert. The cold hammer forged barrel is made from the same steel as the barrel found on the legendary MP5 submachine gun. The standard front and rear cocking serrations provide a positive gripping surface to manipulate the slide.
The rear sight is a square notch with a serrated rear face. The author shows his test pistol with its Holosun optic installed.
The front sight features a tree luminescent dot with a Tritium insert. It proved very effective.
1,000 Rounds In Three Range Trips
I had about three weeks, between the time I received my pistol and the launch date. During that time, I set out to shoot the CC9 with as many different loads as possible. I kept a detailed spreadsheet as to both the total number of rounds fired and the number fired with each load. The loads varied from the Super Vel’s 90 gr. +P JHP to the mild Federal 147 gr. Syntech. These loads averaged 1,494 fps and 985 fps respectively. We shot four different Speer Gold Dot loads along with loads from Federal, Wilson Combat, Remington and Hornady. I also chronographed the Winchester Active Duty 115 gr M1152 load that was developed for the military’s Modular Handgun System. The M1152 averaged a very warm 1,246 fps.
Throughout the first 1,000 rounds, I did not clean or lubricate the pistol. The CC9 was 100% reliable with all of the tested rounds. We experienced zero malfunctions. The gun was very shootable and the controls, while very low profile, performed as designed. To my surprise, even with a 350 or 400-round count range trip, I did not have any hot spots, blisters, or abrasions on my hand. This is not the case with other pistols and it speaks to the research that went into the CC9.
Results At The Range
The trigger broke cleanly and hitting steel at 40 yards was not difficult. I performed all of the initial tests on standard iron targets. They were easy to acquire and track during recoil. On several occasions, I did a magazine dump using the five magazines I had available. That equaled 58 shots fired in a very limited time. While the CC9 got hot and dirty, it continued to run.
As is my habit with my test guns, I select a known drill to shoot for a score. Even though the CC9 is a micro-compact, and more akin to a snub revolver, I selected to shoot “The Test.” This consists of 10 rounds, in 10 seconds, shot from 10 yards. I was able to score a respectable 95/100 with the little gun. Again, this attests to just how shootable and controllable the CC9 is.
Personal Defense Rounds
While my time was limited, I did some last-minute ballistic testing with four popular personal defense loads. We shot the Federal 124 gr. Tactical HST, Speer 124 gr. standard velocity and +P Gold Dot, and the Hornaday Critical Duty 124 gr. +P Flex Lock. The table and photos, shown below, show the results.
| CC9 Ballistic Test Data | ||||
| Manufacturer | Load | Average Velocity | Average Penetration | Average Expanded Diameter |
| Federal HST Tactical | 124 gr. | 1,127 fps | 12.6” | .62” |
| Hornady Critical Duty | 124 gr. +P | 1,138 fps | 16+” | .49” |
| Speer Gold Dot | 124 gr | 1.097 fps | 14.5”/16”+ | .54” |
| Speer Gold Dot | 124 gr. +P | 1,185 fps | 15”/16”+ | .57” |
At the time, I only had one gel block available. In the case of the Critical Duty, we recovered only one of the three rounds that were shot. In the case of the Gold Dot standard, and +P, load, we recovered two of the three and one of the three respectively. In the future, I plan to do a more extensive test with these, and other, personal defense loads.
Final Thoughts On The CC9
I have not fully made up my mind on this gun. I will keep shooting the CC9 and put it in my carry rotations. The little gun just shoots! Several trusted friends shot it and all were impressed! One of the central themes during the development of the pistol was that the CC9 had to be “small enough to carry, yet larger enough to shoot well!”
READ MORE: Staccato C Full Review: Conceal, Compete, and Conquer!
A pistol left at home is not useful in an armed encounter. However, a small gun that does not work well is just as much of a liability. The CC9 hits all the marks and has established a new standard in concealed carry pistols. To quote an HK-USA representative, it is the gun for “the worse day of your life!”
For more information contact HK-USA
| HK CC9 Specifications | |
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Length | 6.03” |
| Height | 4.5” |
| Weight w/o magazine | 18.4 oz |
| Barrel | Cold Hammer Forged 3.32” |
| Operating System | Pre-Cocker Striker Fired |
| Rear Sight | Black Square Notch |
| Front Sight | Green luminescent/Tritium Insert |
| Magazine Release/Slide Stop | Fully Ambidextrous |
| Magazine Capacity | 10/12 |
| Optic Ready Slide Cut | RMSc Footprint |
| MSRP | $699.00 |
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