110 is pretty good as is
When I started work with the INS back in the 1990's, they had changed over from .38 Special +P+ to the 110 grain .357 magnum load, although some officers still carried the +P+ on their belts.
The shift to the 110 grain .357 was caused by failures of the .38 Special load. We were issued S&W model 13's with 3 inch barrels because apparently, the DOJ had a big load of them that the FBI now refused to issue.
It was a nice enough carry gun in uniform or plain clothes at exactly 2 pounds loaded.
The 110 grain load worked well for us in the field, but you could carry the 125 grain load if you qualified with it. I did use it in my S&W 681.
We had problems with the 125 grain load splitting the forcing cone and could only use the 110 grain load in the model 13. It worked exactly as planned the several times my unit used it.
Back in the 1970's and 1980's, the 110 grain load was much hotter. I used some SPEER ammo and the muzzle blast knocked insulation off the range booth.
I am not bothered by the "watered down" 110 grain load. My agency had very good results with it. When I pull out my old .357 at night (rarely), this is the load I use.
It is much less noisy, with reduced flash and blast than the 125 grain loads, with the admission that the 125 grain loads were probably the most effective handgun ammo ever developed.
Jim