People have litanies of reasons to do one or the other. My self-defense weapons all have a round chambered. If the fit hits the shan, it’s likely to occur unexpectedly. The fewer hoops I have to jump thru to get the job done, the better. But that’s just me. Your mileage may vary.
This query was triggered - pun intended - by a gun safety PSA I heard in the car today (paraphrasing from memory): "President Biden wants all Americans to be safe and secure. If you own guns, make sure they are unloaded and locked up separately from the ammunition..." At the end, POTUS weighs in with "This is Joe Biden. Jill and I want you and yours to stay safe. God bless."
Sorry, Brandon. I own a handful of guns. The ones I don't regularly use are unloaded and locked up; some of the ammo is in the gun locker with the guns. The self defense weapons are unlocked, accessible, & loaded with a round in the chamber.