At home my M & P 40 is always loaded and close by, but I'm not comfortable with a round in the chamber.   

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Gun?

Who needs a gun when I have an axe. 

hell yes!

I understood the HRS to mean that any firearm, loaded or unloaded, needs to be secure from any minor living in the house.  The loaded/unloaded state of the firearm is not addressed, only the requirement to keep it secured.  This is my interpretation at least.

Yes, an axe can be quite handy.  I have a bat just in case.

Yeap , no sense have a loaded firearm when its lock up.

Those bedside digital finger press safes are nice and neat, but the combination is so easy.

I always have a round in the chamber.

One less thing to think about when something goes bump in the night.

At home my M & P 40 is always loaded and close by, but I'm not comfortable with a round in the chamber.   

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Some people here would laugh at you, but it's really your choice. If you feel uncomfortable, then don't chamber a round.
A lot of people do not feel comfortable around guns. Nobody here would criticize those people for not having a sd gun.
At least you took the initiative to (presumably) take a safety course and invest in a fine firearm for self defense.
If I were you, I would practice loading and firing, as you would have to do in an emergency. I suppose there is some deterrent effect of the sound of a slide racking a round into the chamber, like the distinctive sound of a pump shotgun shucking a round into the chamber.

I presume your pistol is secured into a quick access lock box of some sort.

Personally, I do keep a round chambered in my SD gun.

Yes, fully loaded, round in the chamber.  If it is needed, it is ready.

[�134-10.5]  Storage of firearm; responsibility with respect to minors.  No person shall store or keep any firearm on any premises under the person's control if the person knows or reasonably should know that a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor, unless the person:

     (1)  Keeps the firearm in a securely locked box or other container or in a location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure; or

     (2)  Carries the firearm on the person or within such close proximity thereto that the person readily can retrieve and use it as if it were carried on the person.

For purposes of this section, "minor" means any person under the age of sixteen years. [L 1992, c 288, �1]

HRS forbids you from leaving a gun lying where a minor can get it, not from keeping a gun on you for defense while children are present.

No but I can get lock & loaded in under 10 seconds!

Cocked and locked, spare mag and rounds in the safe, change out the mags on regular basis to keep the springs from becoming permanently compressed causing a failure to feed.

No but I can get lock & loaded in under 10 seconds!

But remember it takes on average only 1.5 seconds for an attacker to close 21 feet of distance -  10 seconds is a looooooooong time 

I keep mine loaded, but no round in the chamber.
I lock all my doors, including my bedroom and when pooping/showering.

When I am at home I have my ruger LCP fully loaded either in my pocket or nearby. When I leave it gets locked up but not unloaded. When I move back to a free state it will just hang out in my pocket all the time 

It is a little un nerving at first to carry a loaded handgun in your pocket... I carried for a while completely empty to get used to it and also so I could practice drawing and dry firing at inanimate objects randomly. I have also brought it to the range and practiced drawing and firing off all 7 rounds as quickly as possible. (one good thing about not having an actual range in kona!)

Do whatever you feel comfortable with.

Yes, fully loaded, round in the chamber.  If it is needed, it is ready.

i keep chamber empty
my reasoning is, that i don't put one in the chamber because i am worried about bullet setback from repeated chambering of the same round
i go to the range at least monthly, so that would mean every few months, i would have to shoot the chambered round so it doesn't get overpressured
if i ever have to take out my gun because someone is in the house, as i retrieve it, i will rack the slide
yes, i know this is not tactically correct, but it makes more sense to me, since i will be going to the range many more times than i will be having to pull out my handgun to defend my house

I have no round in chamber. Suspect/s have to set off the house alarm, even the garage door is hook up to the alarm. Then suspect/s have to pass the inside dogs. If he have a weapon then immediate threat. Alarm monitor should call 911 and hear all conversation. Lots of signs posted, lights, and CCTV around perimeter. I can justify its a good shoot or handcuff them before police arrive.

i keep chamber empty
my reasoning is, that i don't put one in the chamber because i am worried about bullet setback from repeated chambering of the same round

Yeah, that's what you get for using one of them fancy new auto-repeaters.  Get a REAL handgun! 

For law purposes, would having a chambered round be better than one that is not?

1. I picked up my gun and fired it at the intruder.
2. I picked up my gun, chambered it, and fired it at the intruder.
3. I picked up my gun, loaded the magazine, chambered it, and fired it at the intruder.

Wondering if lawyers would nit pick and say that since you decided to load it, it took you some time to think about what you plan on doing with it. Maybe even a super long stretch like you premeditated it by taking your time to load the weapon first.

Yeah, that's what you get for using one of them fancy new auto-repeaters.  Get a REAL handgun! 

+1 
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