I like 3 position safeties. Disengage for target games-mostly live pigeon shooting in that day- Ithaca's three position worked normally as an automatic safety unless you moved it to the third position to disengage the auto feature. Ithaca abandoned the 3 position trigger circa 1913. I have removed the auto safety link on the two trigger NIDs I use for clay games. The single trigger NIDs allow the shooter to select either barrel OR a safe position. I guess it is all in what one is comfortable with doing. As mentioned in an earlier post, the safe position usually only blocks the triggers. A jar or drop will likely fire the gun. I once (and only once) went dove shooting with a fellow who liked to carry his shot gun holding it with both arms behind his neck. Often the barrel was pointing to me and my fellows. When question about his carelessness he said "don't worry it is on safe."
So how important is to safe gun handling just to have that sliding button to point to 'safe?'
