“Well, no one wants to shoot anyone, but I want you to know that the second you uncover the dynamics can change radically, so you had better be prepared to shoot.”
We can absolutely agree on that. Being prepared to shoot is essential. Drawing to “bluff” without being willing to shoot is asking to have them disarm you.
That is my point.
Once you uncover, things become deadly.
I would never uncover unless I already knew things were deadly.
You may talk someone down by showing potential deadly force, but you are likely to get a desperate attempt to disarm and kill you at that point.
It is better to have a chin wag over a beer than over a gun.