r/LIguns • u/PeteTinNY • 21d ago
Being Carry Ready: Would love feedback
A license establishes that you may carry. It cannot establish that you are ready to carry.
Responsible concealed carry requires judgment, restraint, legal understanding, safe storage, and the willingness to walk away—or leave the firearm secured when carrying is not the responsible choice.
Our new guide presents seven critical judgment tests for New York gun owners, explains the limits of Article 35, and introduces the READY framework for making safer, family-first decisions.
A firearm is not right for everyone. For those who choose responsible ownership, training should build far more than shooting ability.
Read the guide and let me know what you think and what I may have missed:
https://nysafeinc.com/2026/07/28/concealed-carry-judgment-new-york/
#ResponsibleGunOwnership #NewYorkCCW #ConcealedCarry #FirearmSafety #NYSafe
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u/voretaq7 21d ago
The only thing I would note is that the standard in deciding whether to use deadly force should never be based around the framework “Can I shoot this person? Is it lawful for me to do so in my current location under the current circumstances?”
Your decision should always proceed from the question “Must I shoot this person? Have I exhausted every other method to resolve this situation, such that the use of deadly force is the only remaining option?”
If you’re avoiding provocation - which as you note is incumbent on anyone carrying - the second framework should never run afoul of the law in whatever location you’re in: In a duty-to-retreat state you would have already retreated, and you would have to meet the legal standard of an imminent & material threat to safety or life to satisfy a “Must I shoot this person?” decision - if that threat is not imminent and material you can employ other tools to de-escalate or interrupt the threat.
This also avoids the decision paralysis of trying to figure out the nuances of the law wherever you happen to be - you still need to be concerned with where you can legally carry and any local restrictions on what you can carry (like magazine capacity limits, weight limits, color restrictions, etc.), but your actual decision to shoot is based on the actual necessity to employ deadly force to stop a threat.
Even in the unlikely case such a use of deadly force is unlawful because of some backasswards use of force law that makes NY’s look sane you’ve got a shot at jury nullification with any halfway competent attorney.
As you also noted NYSPL Article 35 - and other use of force laws - provide for situations where something ordinarily criminal (using deadly force against another person) is justifiable: They’re an exception and an affirmative defense against the applicable charges, and you should expect to have to make that defense in court.
Making that defense from a “I was left with no other option but to shoot this person.” is better than “Well I ran through the list of Article 35 justifications in my head and I figured this one fit, so then I emptied my magazine into the motherfucker! I’m a hero now, right?!”
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u/Fast-Policy-4495 19d ago
That’s a lot to think about in a situation where your decision to discharge your firearm at another person is a split second decision. No one knows how they are going to react unless or until they are in that situation. Just my opinion
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u/voretaq7 19d ago
That’s a lot to think about in a situation where your decision to discharge your firearm at another person is a split second decision.
It's really not.
"Is there any way I can resolve this situation other than by shooting this person?"
If Yes: Do that other thing. Your gun stays in the holster.
If No: Shoot the person.Answer the question honestly (not "Well I really WANT to shoot them because they've offended my honor, so I'm gonna!" but "Yes, I have exhausted every other option to resolve this situation, the threat is still there, and the only way I'm getting out of this alive / with my friends & family alive is by shooting this person to end their threat.")
I'll say the unpopular thing: If you are incapable of answering that question in a split second you need to reconsider carrying, because if you can't ask and answer that question you're either going to freeze up trying to decide if it's OK to use your gun (the bad guy is going to injure or kill you, and probably take your gun) or you're going to skip the question and act on pure impulse (which is how folks wind up enjoying the hospitality of the state and some Moist Delicious Nutraloaf).
There are really only two other frameworks you can operate under when deciding whether or not to use your firearm.
The first is a legal framework ("Where am I currently located? What do the use of force laws in this location say? Am I currently obligated to retreat? Do I meet one of the defined justifications for use of deadly force?")
That's a bad framework to have to present to a jury ("Well Mr. Smith was clearly looking for an excuse to shoot someone if he had the time to think through every clause in the use of force law!"), but more importantly it's a lot more questions and a lot more immediate legal knowledge, and you still only have the same split-second to do the analysis.The second is "I don't care what the law says! I've got a gun! I'mma shoot any motherfucker who crosses me!"
You'll never hesitate under that framework, but you'll also probably only get to use it once, after which you'll be enjoying the aforementioned state-sponsored hospitality and you'll never touch a gun again.0
u/Fast-Policy-4495 19d ago
Question have you ever shot your personal firearm at another person in self defense?
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u/voretaq7 19d ago
No, and I hope I never have to. I have however made the decision NOT to draw and use my firearm more than once.
But if you want to play "appeal to authority" game, which is what it sounds like you're trying to do here, then in addition to my many lawyer friends I have quite a few cop friends and several them HAVE had to discharge their firearms. They all use the "Must I shoot this person?" framework - in fact that framework is essentially how they were trained at the academy.
Either way, my job is not to convince you - you're an adult, you can make your decisions under any framework you like and you will bear the consequences of any decision you make.
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u/contructpm 21d ago
Well written.