Almost all guns have inertial firing pins. The pin isn't long enough to rest on the primer of a loaded cartridge. if this weren't so, engaging the safety wouldn't relieve pressure on the primer unless the safety cams the firing pin away from the round. Many bolt action rifles have this feature.
Went hunting with a friend once. When we and several others returned to the campsite around noon, a fellow came into camp with a '94 Win. cocked! I asked him to take care of this as we didn't come into camp with a round in the chamber. He looked down, suprised, and ejected the round in the chamber. Said he got the rifle the night before and wasn't familiar yet. Seems he chambered a round in the morning and had been walking around all morn with the hammer cocked!
he was embaressed and we showed him how his new rifle worked. He had never been hunting before. Bill
If you're not having fun; you're not doing it right!
