The sear safety, sometimes called the Schiwy safety (after the inventor), or the "police" safety (after the primary users), was designed to prevent firing a round left in the chamber when the pistol was taken apart for cleaning. It prevents firing should the sear bar be depressed while the receiver is off the grip piece.
The Schiwy sear safety is a spring above the sideplate, riveted to the receiver at the rear. The front end is free and has a small pin that goes through the frame into the sear bar through holes drilled for that purpose. When the sideplate is in place, its top edge fits under the spring and moves it up so the pin retracts from the sear bar and the gun can be fired.
With the side plate off, the spring forces the pin down into the sear bar, keeping the bar from moving outward, and the gun cannot be fired.
HTH
Jim
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