IFF- Identify feature or failure- Please help!

[germanhunter]

I assume most of you know the three position safety which is used with the SAVAGE 10FP, but just to make sure that you understand what I mean with each position:
Position (1) Save: Trigger and Bolt locked
Position (2) Trigger not working, but bolt to be opened /
Position (3) like (2), but trigger "hot": rifle ready to fire.

At the range I normally will not engage the safety. There is only one round in the rifle. When I close the bolt, I am in position to shoot. Everything worked fine all the time.

So, after having used my pre-accutrigger SAVAGE 10FP rifle (.223 Rem) for sometime at the range, I brought it to the field to hunt.

Hunting I am using the safety: I load the rifle with five cartridges using safety in position (2) and then move the safety to position (1). Normally, while going to the high seat that´s the way it stays. Before climbing the high seat I will unchamber the round and push it down in the magazine, closing the bolt on an empty chamber. On the high seat I will then chamber a round again. It looks like I have done that most often with the trigger in position (3). No problem as the rifle was pointing in a safe direction with a safe bullet stop.
Today, wearing gloves, I was very cautious with the safety and must have used position (2) to chamber the round, when having climbed the high seat.

Here comes the fox, but, pulling the trigger with the safety in position (3), the rifle does not go "bang". The most unpleasant and rattling sound? No bang when expecting one.

So I unloaded to check for an explanation, loosing a good fox. I found out that cycling the bolt with the safety being in position (2) does not cock the rifle, cycling in position (3) does.


My question: Is this a feature or a failure?


I cannot believe that it is a feature, as having the firing pin sitting against the primer is not good practice from my point of view. The primers are already showing very light imprints on their surface.

If it is indeed a failure, what might be the problem and how to solve it? Any takers, please? Your help will be greatly appreciated!



PS:
To specify the rifle´s setup:
The rifle is equipped with an after market trigger from SSS (which is great), and a thrust bearing to improve bolt lift.