Jeff Cooper used to have a gunsmith pin his permanently in the disengaged position. It's not necessary for safe handling. Think about it ... All those little .380 autos on the 1911 pattern without them, and no one says they're unsafe because of it.
I'd bet most of those are carried with an empty chamber.
If carried loose in a pocket, that's the only way to be safe with them, but in a pocket holster or a belt holster, you could carry them cocked and locked in reasonable safety.
