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What Daniel said...

Also, if you're not comfortable with carrying a round in the chamber, I think it is best for you to get more range time and comfort with the pistol of choice. You must feel confident and competent in your pistol, but also in your ability to carry and deploy it.

If you have DAO or DA/SA pistol, that's fairly straightforward.

If you have a SAO, then you have a 5 options, but really only two choices when it comes to personal defense.

Condition 4: Chamber empty, no magazine, hammer down - Not recommended for personal defense
Condition 3: Chamber empty, full magazine in place, hammer down - Not recommended for personal defense
Condition 2: A round chambered, full magazine in place, hammer down
Condition 1: A round chambered, full magazine in place, hammer cocked, safety on
Condition 0: A round chambered, full magazine in place, hammer cocked, safety off - Not recommended safety reasons

I just recently bought my first SAO pistol. Though I have been around firearms for a very long time, I was new to this type of pistol. I practiced with snap caps, carrying, drawing, deploying (move safety off and firing), and decocking. Decocking the loaded pistol is not that difficult, but I believe should definitely be practiced and done with clear focus on the task.

Understanding how your safety (if any) works, will also give you some confidence.