Drilling systems and methods for deploying a latch mechanism upon reaching a drilling position. The drilling systems and methods permit spinning of a drill string to cause a core barrel head assembly to spin through the frictional mating of a landing shoulder of the head assembly and a landing ring of an outer tube assembly. The spinning of the drill string induces a centrifugal and/or radial force that acts on the latch mechanism to overcome the frictional retention forces acting on the latch mechanism, thereby permitting deployment of the latch mechanism.