One in the pipe?

[Kendahl]

Striker fired handguns like the Glock, Smith and Wesson MP, and Kahr's (to name a few) will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.

In the absence of another safety (e.g. thumb or grip), anything that pulls the trigger, not necessarily your finger, will cause them to fire. A holster that protects the trigger is sufficient but you need to be very careful while holstering.

With external safeties, like what is on the 1911, there is always the potential for the safety to be accidently disengaged for various reasons.

It can happen but a thumb safety provides an additional level of security. It takes two unrelated failures to cause a discharge. Consider Sig's problem with the P320 whose trigger had enough inertia to fire the gun when it was dropped. With an engaged thumb safety or a grip safety, the design error wouldn't have mattered.

[CrazyGolfNut]

I always have one in the pipe ready to go.

[GreyGeek]

Once you try to hand-rack the slide on one of those little Mouse Guns (Taurus PT-22, Beretta 21-A),
then you realize why the gun has that Barrel Flipper Lever Thingie.

sfg

Yup.   You need a piece of rubber to get a good purchase.  Not convenient for carrying around.  I carry a couple rounds in my watch pocket.

[eelstrebor1]

My EDC is a Sig Sauer 45 caliber 1911. I carry it in condition 1 even though when I first started carrying I was concerned about the hammer being cocked. I still do, so I carry with the safety on. There's always a chance that clothing could get caught in the trigger and cause a discharge - maybe a fatal event. Because of that, I wonder what impact of having the safety "on"/engaged has in a SD situation. I'm sure that it would take more time to fire but how much more time versus having the safety off?

[Waltherfan]

If you're going to carry a 1911 with the hammer back, you'd better have the safety on.
Taking the safety off as you draw (or you can even wait till you're on target) is a simple process. The pistol is designed so your thumb is right where it needs to be to take the safety off. You don't have to be in a hurry to take it off, in fact you shouldn't be in a hurry.
Be safe.

[Jito463]

Ever since I got my CCP last year, I've carried with one in the chamber.  Initially I was concerned about where the muzzle was pointed (since I often pocket carry), but I've learned to be comfortable with passive safeties of my gun (no thumb safety, but things like the trigger safety on my LC9s Pro and the striker bar on that and my P2000).  Is there still a chance of AD?  Yes, but I've learned not to let it constantly bother me (I still consider it, I just don't obsess over it).

[Kendahl]

... Initially I was concerned about where the muzzle was pointed (since I often pocket carry) ...

Use a holster that protects the trigger.

[Jito463]

Use a holster that protects the trigger.

Oh, I do (I have one that sticks to the inside of my pocket), I was more concerned at the time that the gun would misfire on its own.  I wasn't aware of the striker bars inside them, which prevents that unless the trigger is pulled.

[60gunner]

Waiting to chamber a round until you are in imminent danger is like waiting until the oh crap moment of a car wreck to put on your seatbelt  because you practice putting on you seatbelt quickly.  I prefer to carry ready to fight so that I may worry about other things during the oh crap moment.

[GreyGeek]

Always.
Your first shot may be the only one you will need.
Not getting off the first shot may mean you won't get off a shot at all.