The safeties on muzzleloading English rifles, hanguns and shotguns were usually engaged in the 1/2 cock position as well. Carrying a gun at full cock just wasn't done, it appears. I expect it was harder on the fine springs than necessary.
; We found this to be quite true in the North, hunting in -40 weather. Of course, cold wasn't a problem in the tropics, but fatigue of the springs perhaps was. As locks changed to shorter, stiffer springs, this may have resulted in the cocked and locked safeties that followed in modern-type actions. Those long graceful buggy-whip springs of side hammers could indeed give problems over time, if abused.