first done to L.C. Smiths in 1886 and was a feature to allow Trap shooters/ live bird shooters not to loose a bird in forgetting to move the safety to on. In this position, the safety will not return to safe when opened.
I have a couple of the three position safety's and I like them a lot, really easy and simple to use.....leave it in the rear position and the safety stays off for as many shots as you choose as you open and close the gun multiple times........use the middle and forward position and it activates the auto safety each time the action is opened.......how simple is that......
Anybody who is attentive and shoots very active live birds at a fast pace, like doves, usually likes the older three position safety because of the "no auto safety" position.......
Many active shooters today disable their safety's entirely for just that reason, or order new guns with NO safety.......And some new guns (mainly European), like the Dickinson's come WITHOUT the automatic safety option, manual only.....you want it, you turn it on, I like that.......perfect and simple.......
Like anything else, to each his own....some people like headlights or running lights that come on every time you start the vehicle and voices that tell you what to do, and bells or tones etc., not for me......but whatever floats yer boat.........
