I just don't see the point of a .38 special chambering on a big K or L frame revolver.
Over the years I've owned a dozen revolvers chambered for the .357; Smith's & Rugers but no Colts. All of them have shot .38 spl loads at least as accurately as my best .357 handloads...and with target full wadcutters, the .38's were a hair more accurate.
Too, I've had no difficulty keeping the chambers clean enough after firing a boat load of the shorter rounds, to allow .357 length rounds to chamber easily. The key is to clean after you shoot....while I've never put 200 rounds of .38 special through one of my magnums in a single range session, I have shot 100 before cleaning and it was no problem.
In fact, my carry load for my Smith M-60, a 3" bbl'd .357, is Speer's 135 gr Gold Dot .38 Spl +P load. I like it not only for its expansion/penetration performance, and also for its easier ejection than the magnum length cases.
I will admit that in the last year, I found a .38 Special M-67 Smith LEO turn-in, that's an absolute joy to carry. It's got that lighter weight bbl., lighter than the M-66 or 19, balances well and has arguably the smoothest DA trigger I've ever found on a Smith...no small feat that! With it, I can load 148 gr. target wadcutters at 750 fps for plinking and paper, or upshift to LSWC's to the old "FBI" load: 158 gr at 900 fps+. All of that notwithstanding, it's no more accurate that a pair of M-66's, a trio of M-19's, one 686 and 4 Ruger BH's that I've had.
Given the add'l weight of a 686, I really don't see the need...YMMv, Rod