Speaking of safeties, for any interested..
The lever safety decocks the weapon to DA, locks the hammer in-place and blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin.
When in DA, with the safety off, they are sprung to keep the sear resting in the safety (half-cock) notch in the hammer; the hammer is held away from the firing pin, similiar to Sig pistols.
In SA, if the pistol were to have the sear knocked away from the hammer (very unlikely), there is the safety notch to catch the hammer, keeping it from striking the firing pin.
The Makarov has passed the California safety certification test in which the pistol is dropped from 3ft with the hammer cocked, safety off. They are subsequently fired for function.