While researching the Sten book, we dropped several old Stens butt first on the hardwood floor of the range hut while loaded with blanks just to test the security of the through-bolt forward safety and the rear slot safe position. The cocking handle just stayed where it was. On both guns, the butt frame welds broke! The real safety 'problem' was if the trigger to sear spring broke. Then the gun would fire until the mag was empty. Incidentally, that long spring was taken/adapted from the old pre and post war Sturmey-Archer cycle 3-speed hub change mechanism. Another useless piece of info from Harold Turpins papers