[David Armstrong]

This is the only quasi justification (IMHO) to not carry a round in the chamber.

Noting that it is your opinion, I grant your right to that opinion<G>!

This is not a valid argument. This is neither an advantage or disadvantage, as to properly clear a weapon you have to rack lock the slide to the rear and you should never pull the trigger. So, have a round in the chamber would be about the same as not having a round in the chamber - only difference you either have to catch the round from the chamber or pick it up.

Very valid argument. Given the potential problems of bullet setback in some calibers, and given the fact that the most common time for an AD/ND, according to all of my literature, is when clearing or loading the weapon, reducing the problem is quite valid. Carrying chamber empty prevents these problems.

This is not a valid argument. If I chose to carry a gun with an external safety, the safety would be off anyway.

Very valid aragument. Just because that is the way you choose to carry does not make it the best way for others to carry.

More importantly, why would you carry a gun wherein "the safety is hard to get too or to operate."

Because you like the gun, you shoot it well, and you are able to bring it into action quickly and easily from a chamber empty condition, so the safety really doesn't matter that much.

If you can't manipulate a 1911, don't carry it - shoot by all means, but don't CCW.

No problem with manipulation. Draw, rack, fire. Folks have been manipulating the 1911 like that for decades.

This is not a valid argument. Don't carry a gun you find problematic.

Very valid argument. Nobody said to carry a gun you find problematic. The issue was one where the initial DA trigger pull was problematic. FWIW, this is a takeoff of a Jeff Cooper solution to the same problem.

This is not a valid argument. Yes, everything is situational.

Very valid argument. By your own admission it is situational. What makes you think that you (or anybody) knows more about the situation than the person who is living it?

I would like to read a situation that a chambered round was a disadvantage???

Already done that: "....guns that are not equipped with some of the more modern safety designs. Another might be if your situation requires you to load/unload a lot. Some guns the safety is hard to get too or to operate for some people. Others might find the first DA pull of a DA/SA gun to be problematic. Again, it is always situational. What is an advantage for one person in one situation might be a disadvantage for another person or in another situation." Don't like my version? Here. let's try a very popular wroter who I have a great deal of respect for: "Condition Three does have its place for carry, however. If I am carrying a gun like a Glock, which does not have a manual safety per se, and do not have access to a holster which covers the trigger guard (as is strongly recommended by the Glock factory), and have to shove the gun into my waistband, I'll make sure the chamber is empty."---Mas Ayoob, 2001. Mas goes on to say, "The first generation Smith & Wesson autoloaders, produced roughly from 1954 to 1980, theoretically can discharge if dropped hard enough with a live round in the chamber, unless the manual safety is engaged. There are several inexpensive pistols such as the Lorcin and the Raven, to name but two, floating around out there that do not have secure firing pin designs and can discharge from impact if struck or dropped. These should NEVER be carried with live rounds in the chamber. If one must use such a pistol, load only the magazine, and rack the slide to bring a cartridge into the chamber only when you perceive an immediate need to actually fire."

This is not an argument. Either method works fine, if, if, if, you do not have to employ your weapon.

Of course it's not an argument. It is a factual statement. If you don't need to employ your weapon not having a weapon is also a viable option, so I'm not sure what trying to discuss non-weapon issues has to do with this.

You, and others, seem to be arguing that since a new method has come along that reduces some of the problems of the past that the old method that worked so well suddenly is no longer working. That is wrong. Like I said, I tend to support chamber loaded carry, but if someone chooses not to do so they don't lose much, if any, SD capability.