If I might be allowed to amplify my last remark: I acquired a Mak (Bulgarian) a couple of days ago and find it a very pleasant (and accurate) gun to shoot, and a very interesting design to study.
As JohnKSa noted, the hammer is of the rebounding type, meaning that it does not normally rest against the firing pin but stands back about 3/16 inch. A hammer block prevents it from moving forward past that point unless the trigger is held fully to the rear. On firing, the hammer's momentum will carry it forward enough to smack the firing pin, at which point the normal recock/reload cycle begins. But if the round doesn't go off (or you're dry firing), the "parking" spring kicks in and moves the hammer back to the 3/16 inch point, and as soon as you release the trigger the block moves into place and locks the hammer from further forward movement.
So yes, what you heard is true - the gun will not fire unless the trigger has been pulled (and held) all the way to the rear.
Note that while it may not be a recommended move, this design also permits the lowering of the hammer fairly safely without using the decocking lever (if, for example, you wanted to avoid the monstrous "clank" that accompanies the hammer fall.) If you hold the hammer securely under your thumb while you release the trigger, then ease the hammer just slightly forward, and then take your finger completely off the trigger, the trigger will move forward as you ease the hammer down, and the hammer block will be fully in place before the hammer gets to its rest position. So even if the hammer slips from under your thumb (not too likely, given the substantial ribs on the top of the hammer) it will be blocked from hitting the firing pin. This is the same sequence that allows lowering the hammer on a modern double action revolver (I'm familiar with the innards of S&W, but suspect others are similar) where there is a hammer block that is out of the way only while the trigger is at its full rearward travel, and once the trigger starts to move forward the hammer block begins to engage and insure that the hammer stays off of the firing pin (or cartridge, for hammers with integral firing pins.).
In order to fire a Mak from hammer down you must either cock the hammer with the thumb (pretty convenient to do, actually, unlike some larger guns) and go on with short, relatively light "single action" shooting, or pull through the long, "double action" trigger pull for the first shot. This is virtually impossible to do by accident, as the pull is both long and heavy (but pretty smooth and with only a slight increase in weight toward the end.)
As for me, if I get a holster for the Mak I will comfortably carry it with one in the chamber and the safety lever down (off) so there's one less thing to thnk about when going into action. If I were accustomed to swiping a 1911 safety off as Pilot is, I'd carry with the safety on too, to keep the manual of arms consistent.
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