I'll tell you about the safety. I didn't think it was a big deal either. I was wrong. One day I was minding my own business walking an abandoned road / cat trail up through some oaks looking for a deer. I ran into an old sow bear with 2 cubs. Everything was fine at the beginning, they took off running .. then those stupid cubs decided to go up a tree so momma bear had to take a stand. She was huffing and popping her teeth with her hackles up making couple-of-step "starts" in my direction like she was working up nerve to try to "take" me. I had the chamber hot and the hammer back on my Marlin for probably about 5 minutes of that [bleep] before the cubs came back down and ran off.
When all was done, they left, I eased the hammer back down, and saw that somewhere along the way that stupid cross bolt safety had moved from fire to safe. That would have been the loudest click in world history.
I sold the rifle the next day.
A couple years went by and I heard about a replacement made by a guy named Clyde Ludwig .. might have that spelled right or wrong .. so I ordered a half dozen. Gave a couple to friends who shot Marlins. We all grew up on old Winchesters and Marlins. Nobody had any problem with the old guns not having a push button safety, that's a bit of lawyer-proofing and retard-proofing some of us non-retards don't need. I like to keep my guns simple, with features that are needed and none that are not. Lot less to go wrong.
If someone wants that safety, I guess more power to them, but you won't ever find one on my lever action.
Tom
So you weren't familiar enough with your weapon to know the status on the safety. Or you engaged it without knowing. That's operator error, plain and simple.
If they came without them I wouldn't put it on. But since it's there, it allows me peace of mind to keep one in the tube when I'd otherwise not. And no I don't always run around hot chamber. Typically I keep chamber empty, safety off, mag loaded hammer at half cock. But having the safety allows other options when situation calls for it or I get a wild hair.
Different strokes man that's all.