As many others have said, the answer here is clear - "S&W 642". I have shot Taurus snubs, and some of them have been just fine. Ruger Sp101 is another fine gun.
I have two snubnose .38 revolvers. I won't have a tiny, five-shot, airweight or scandium .357. Ridiculous thing to do to myself. If I get a short-barrelled .357, it will be a model 19 S&W or a Ruger SP101.
That said, as far as what models you might look at, the features you should look for depend on your priorities. Myself, I want a gun that is easy to pack, that won't rust, that won't snag when I draw it, and that won't beat the crap out of me when I shoot it -- I might need to shoot fast follow-up shots.
Easy to pack for me means 2" barrels, small frame (J-Frame or similar), and preferably light weight (aluminum frame) to keep from dragging down my trousers too much.
Not rusting when I carry the thing right next to my skin all the time, or in my pocket, or in a SmartCarry holster, means a coating or stainless. Stainless is less hassle than trying to figure out which coating to use.
Not snagging means fixed sights (ramp or round front) and bobbed/concealed hammer spur, with no extra crap attached to it/hanging off it.
Not beating me up in a small framed, short-barrelled revolver means that even if I end up with a gun chambered for .357, the gun will *never* see a .357 load. .38 Special, .32 H&R Magnum, or something like that is much more reasonable.
The gun I carry most is a S&W 642. I've had it for over six years, and it has a dry-fired smooth trigger. It meets all of my criteria at least adequately. It weighs one pound loaded, and a Bianchi Speed Strip with an extra six rounds only weighs a few ounces more, and is flat and compact, so I can slip it into any pocket I might need to use. It is stainless and aluminum, so it will not rust, no matter what carry method I use. The hammer is completely enclosed, and it has tiny fixed sights, so there is nothing to snag on. The thing is all smooth, rounded curves.
To make it easier to shoot, I have painted the front sight red, and the tiny square outline in the sight channel black, so I have as much contrast as I can without spending a ton of money getting a tritium insert put in the front sight ramp. I also added Goncalvo Alves banana grips to it because they make it much easier to shoot since they are long enough to allow a full grip and are slick, smooth wood so they (again) don't snag on anything, and don't abrade the skin under recoil -- meeting two of my criteria of not snagging on things and not beating me up when I shoot it. I keep the rubber boot grips handy so I can swap them out whenever the banana grip length is too much.
So, if I were buying another right now, I would probably just duplicate the 642 I have right now, except I would look for a 642-1 instead of the 642-2 I currently have to get away from the trigger lock. I have found a use for the trigger lock - I usually lock it when I check it when I fly, or if I have to leave it at a family member's house when travelling, but since it's in a lockbox in either case anyway, it's pretty much an unneeded, redundant thing.
642-1, with the grips that suit you best, a pocket holster (Galco Horsehide, Mika round cut), and a couple of Bianchi Speed Strips would be what I would sugggest.
