Types of safeties

Push-button safety

Located on the trigger guard, a push-button safety blocks the trigger or the hammer when engaged. It may have a visible red band when the safety is in the off position.

Slide or tang safety

It features two positions of operation:

• in the on position (i.e. a green-coloured dot or the letter ‘S’ may be visible), it blocks the firing mechanism of a rifle or shotgun
• in the off position (i.e. a red-coloured dot or the letter ‘F’ may be visible), it enables firing of a cartridge or shotshell.

A tang safety, featured on some models of shotguns, is engaged when the letter ‘S’ is visible on top and in the back of the receiver.

Lever or pivot safety

Located either on the bolt or just behind the bolt handle on the frame of the receiver, it blocks the firing pin when engaged. On some firearms, the lever safety located on the bolt will have three positions:

• the back position (i.e. towards the shooter) does not allow the bolt to be opened, and the firearm will not fire
• in the middle position, the bolt can be cycled, but the firearm cannot be fired
• in the forward position, the safety is off, and the firearm can be fired.

Other safeties feature only two positions: on and off.

Hammer or half-cock safety

This type of safety is not as common as others. It is typically found among lever-action and break-action firearms or antique and replica firearms. In the half-cock position, the hammer does not rest on the firing pin, and the trigger is locked. When the hammer is pulled all the way back into the cocked position, the firearm can be fired.