[dcobler]

As a side note to the above posts, I think your personal circumstances dictate the answer better than anyone else's advice.

Are there children in the home? What kind of neighborhood do you live in? Do you live in apartments? What barriers are in between you and retrieving your weapon in a defensive situation?

I keep my primary home defense weapons with a round in the chamber. That's just me though.

What do you do with your firearm when you leave the house? Leave it the same way? Lock it up? Empty the chamber? Its just my personal opinion that your situation should dictate your answer.

As added food for thought, in the event of a fire, the rounds that are not chambered are not serious threats but a round that is chambered is a loaded gun in a ghost's hands. In a semi-auto this could result in a cook-off situation involving multiple random shots(in theory, not always the case). If you do keep a round loaded in a firearm that is not attended (put in a safe place but prepared for a defensive situation) be mindful of the muzzle direction and notify any emergency response personnel of this in the event of a fire.