I had two-inchers and four-inchers for ages, then a few sixes. I'd read that people really like their three-inchers, and after I got one, I understood why. The're so nice and light and easy to point. I seem to shoot them about as well as a 4". After I got my first three-inch 38 special a couple of years ago, I somehow ended up with two "matched sets"...
The two on the left are both Taurus Model 82's. The top one is an ex police revolver from 2000: It has a full lug, solid upper barrel piece, hammer spur, and surprisingly large grips (the trigger is excellent). The bottom one is from 1992 (I'm assuming it's a commercial model): it has no lug, the flat piece on top of the barrel has a trough that lightens it, I've removed the hammer spur, and it has small boot grips. They're both very good shooters. It's fun to have two versions of the exact same revolver that feel so different. The boot grip one feels waaaay smaller, even though the frames are exactly the same.
The two on the right are both "j-frames". The one on top is a Taurus Model 85. It 's stainless with a full lug. The one on bottom is a S&W Model 36 from 1965 that I've been fixing up - it has a "pencil barrel" with no lug. I put nearly identical larger grips on them. They both fit my hands decently that way - I can get most of my pinky on the grip.
I took the police turn-in and old Model 36 to the range with me yesterday and enjoyed shooting them both. I can shoot a nice 3" K-frame about as well as a 4", and had fun doing that. The old Smith was fun, too. This was its second range trip since the 1970's or so, and it's starting to feel smoother. Other than a few fliers, I was hitting a 4" x 4" diamond with every shot at seven yards with either revolver, which is pretty good for my aging eyes and mediocre shooting skills.
Do you like three-inch revolvers? Why or why not? (It would be fun to hear some "why nots".) What kind do you have? Do you have a favorite? Do you have a good three-inch revolver story? And here's the big question: Do you have pictures of your three-inch revolver(s)?