I think this is a very important topic for new firearm owners. Firearms can be dangerous tools when not handled correctly. Skills need to be learned and practiced to carry safely. I would feel a lot safer around, and have a lot more respect for, an inexperienced shooter who is concerned about carrying one in the chamber than some of the yahoos I see out in the forest around here who are convinced they know everything they need to about firearms as they recklessly carry and shoot all over the place.
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This isn’t really a silly topic, exactly, IMO. It has surely been a topic for as long as there have been firearms with a chamber to be loaded or not (all the way back to centuries past revolvers carried on an empty chamber under the hammer, likely farther back) and will continue to be. That’s okay. There are always new firearms owners, new shooters, new carriers, who don’t know what they don’t know, for whom the topic is helpful. There are also people not-new to firearms who still have chambered/not, depending on circumstances ,as part of their own personal journey or decision process
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Okay - I want to know - I MUST know right NOW - who of us carries an empty revolver?
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For clarify, this is what I was referencing RE: old revolvers
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Are we, a community for concealed carriers, going to start finger-pointing and deciding who is unworthy to practice their 2nd Amendment right? Because the very large and well-funded anti-2A crowd would love it if we did their work for them.
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My pistols have one in the chamber all the time. It takes longer to chamber one if you have to defend yourself. It might be the difference between life or death.
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Someone mentioned in a video, police have one in the chamber, it can be done successfully. I do, but admit I’m hyper vigilant around the trigger, and still think about it a lot.
However, everyone is different. To those out there who don’t, It’s ok. Your way is ok. Better you carry that way, your way, than not at all; There are ways to train and learn carrying chambered, take your time. It’s you, your body, your life.
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Well said, is an lcp max safe to carry Chambered? Hammer fired, trigger safety, no external safety? Opinions?
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Weird handgun. Hard to predict its trigger break. I think that is the safety mechanism - you really want to press that trigger in order to make it shoot… 
I would never carry it AIWB. 
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What does the owner’s manual say?
I can not think of a reason that it would be unsafe to carry loaded, in a proper holster that protects the trigger/guard
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The LCP max is a single action- in that the hammer is cocked all the way back after loading a round in the chamber. But it has a drop safety mechanism and the little Glock style trigger tab as an added safety measure. So in reality it functions much more like a Glock than your typical single action. Except the trigger is a little heavier than factory Glock triggers. I pocket carry it in a quality kydex holster without worry.
Edit to add that when pocket carrying it is always safest when reholstering after a draw to pull the holster out of your pocket and reinsert the pistol into the holster before putting it back in your pocket.
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There’s a huge difference in being able and not wanting to necessarily draw and end a life. Recognizing the difference is crucial, taking the time to rack one in, makes sense. If you feel that everyone should be able to take a life so easily makes me wonder. Here’s the deal, I will, or I won’t. All I know, is that as I continue to train mentally and physically, and I belong to this group, I will feel a ton better knowing that I have people around to help in case I need to pull the trigger.
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First, my usual carry is hammer fired, manual safty and carried cocked and locked. Way back when,we didn’t carry a 1911 with one in the chamber when we were stateside but one range officer taught a neat trick that works quite well with a little practice. As you draw the support hand comes accross and racks the slide as you are going forward. Before you are on target you DO have one in the pipe.
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You totally misunderstand - by a huge amount. We are allowed to use lethal force only when in a situation where there is a reasonable belief that you will experience great bodily harm or death. Being able to accomplish that when it is needed is the reason to carry chambered. Carrying unloaded is akin to carrying a dull knife and sharpening it when needed. Many of us have all seen and/or read about numerous self-defense situations. One typically does not have but a second or two to react. In that hopefully never in a lifetime occurrence, anything that impedes your ability to protect yourself or loved ones is an issue. Why would you handicap yourself by not having your self-defense tool be able to function as soon as it is needed?
In many prior posts I have explained that I am a pacificist (or I guess it could be argued was). I have never intentionally harmed anyone nor have that desire - none here have a desire to harm anyone. Self-defense is not about harming others; it is about protecting you and your family. If someone is intent on harming you, it is your duty as a father/spouse to protect yourself/family. The quicker you can react, the more likely your survival and that of your loved ones.
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On 4/8/2022 the USCCA YouTube video addressed this very subject:
CONFESSION: The #1 Mistake I’ve Made While Carrying Concealed…
\https://youtu.be/Jht2MYr5WFI
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No manual safety here so no round in the chamber. This is a personal choice and yes, I practice often. There are times when circumstances warranted having a round in the chamber, but very seldom in my routine. You do you.
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I like that USCCA is addressing this topic the way they did in this video, admitting that folks do it but then simply addressing facts that show why it’s generally not necessary.
This is a big change from a couple years ago when we simply weren’t allowed to talk about it.
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I read once that if you carry in condition 2, and you ever REALLY need to use your firearm; you have the rest of your life to rack the slide.
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Condition 2 - round chambered, mag in, hammer down. That is how I carry my PX4s, as they are DA/SA, no external safety, but they have de-cockers making hammer down safe to accomplish. I use only DA when using my Mantis X, and at least a box at the range in DA only. After the DA practice, I start the first mag of a two-mag set hammer down, and repeat.
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There may be confusion regarding the “conditions”.
Many if not most guns people carry these days cannot be carried Condition 2. Since most have a Glock/VP9/P320/M&P/FNS/509/etc striker fired with no manual safety, only Condition 1, 3, and 4 are possible.
Dave17 above gave an example of actual condition 2 carry, which is chambered
(as an aside, I do not believe condition 0 really applies to many/most pistols either, just single actual manual safety types)
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