A hammer gun on full cock can be fired by bumping the exposed hammer against a tree or fence post or by dropping it. The presence of a tang safety does not change this. The half cock notch is built stronger than the full cock notch to prevent just such an accident. A hammerless gun is safer than a hammer gun on full cock with safety on because there is no external hammer to be struck by a hard object. I agree with GregSY's post. We should raise exposed hammers from half cock on the flush or point. On one hundred year old hammer guns, muzzle control is very important, no mechanical device to be trusted to prevent an accidental discharge.
