I don't think I'm a niche market at all in wanting a durable .44 Special in a GP-sized package.
Had not paid attention to the Smith, but if that model uses a two-piece barrel, that'd be another deal-killer for me. Won't own either the lock or a two-piecer.
I have .44 Magnums.
If I want to shoot a magnum I'll use a magnum, whether .357 or .44.
If I want to shoot a special, I'll shoot a special, whether .38 or .44.
To date I own only one .44 Special, an original Lipsey's flattop.
I never had any interest in the caliber previously, but when that gun came out it just struck me as an excellent balance (with the right loads) between size & power for uses where I did not anticipate mastodon or bison charges.
I asked John Bianchi to build me one of his holster models for it, and I've had the gun tweaked a bit. Still needs grips, but one of these days...
It's very packable, and sufficiently powerful for anything I may encounter outside large bear country.
Essentially, a .44 Special GP with the right barrel length would be a DA equivalent, with the added benefit of quick-reload capability.
The lightest .44 Mag I'll carry (and occasionally do on desert outings) is a Smith 629 Mountain Revolver.
I have zero interest in a lighter or smaller .44 Mag.
The .44 Special DA could make either a very decent town carry with HPs (again, the RIGHT loads, not the anemic traditional LRN) or a good ATV & trail gun out in the dirt.
The electro-chemical Smith rifling is produced by a combination of electricity and chemical interaction.
Traditional methods like broaching & button rifling remove material by cutting or "scraping", which leaves sharp land edges to grab bullets.
The E/C process does not.
This is not a huge issue, but it can be an issue with lead loads, and not all of those will be fired by reloaders.
You can go down the list of GP features in comparing each one individually & decide that standing alone no single feature would tip the scales in either direction, but for me it's the entire package that sells the gun.
Denis