Weapons are useless without a round in the chamber. That is the way to carry 'em if you carry concealed; any other way is nearly useless. Its up to the user to make certain that he does nothin' stupid.
But when you're handin' 'em around to "compare" 'em you need to remove the clip and clear the chamber. The guy who gets the weapon, at minimum, should check the the chamber, just in case you missed somethin'.
'Course I use a revolver, which is a little easier to clear... and harder to reload.
Yep. This is how I actually keep mine. I don't show it to anyone.