Those half-**** safeties are very reliable, but on some guns that have seen a lifetime of use have had that notch worn to the point that the trigger will activate the hammer if pulled hard enough. I've got a Win. model '97 that is nearly 100 years old and two '94's that are 60 years old and the safeties work fine on all of them. I think in some cases though that people who aren't familiar with them have used them wrong and discharged the gun.