Salutations, Owlnmole!
I am a fan of the Smith & Wesson J-Frames.
You are not alone. I also am a J-frame fanatic, as they are the only class of firearm that I have yet found that
perfectly serves my needs. Of course, more rounds in the cylinder would be nice, but I and many others contend that this is not a deal-breaker when weighed against the J's numerous advantages. If you haven't already, see the thread titled "S&W: Only Five Rounds?" over in the General Gun Discussions subforum. Much good input there on why "5 for sure" IS enough (as well as worthwhile opinions from those who argue otherwise).
I came across this model, new to me. Anyone know anything about it or have any thoughts on its pros and cons as a general range, field and home defense gun?
New to me as well. Provided the gun wasn't intended for concealment, the extra inch of barrel would be warmly welcomed by many for its handling characteristics, not to mention the accompanying increase in bullet velocity from the longer barrel. We always hear 4" bandied about as the minimum barrel length from which "real" .357 Magnum bullet speeds may be obtained, but 3" is surely better than 1 7/8" or 2 1/8", albeit by how much I don't know.
Maybe someone will be able to point to some chrono data of .357 (or .38, for that matter) loads from a 3" barrel. If I've ever seen velocity numbers for .357s from that barrel length, I've forgotten what they were. It's fairly easy to find data for loads from 2" barrels, but 3" seems uncommon.
I like the slab-sided barrel and the long ejector rod. Not so keen on the exposed hammer, since I don't shoot J-frames single-action and so gravitate towards the snag-proof Centennial models.
Regarding the applications you mentioned, it would appear to be a very enjoyable range gun with .38 Specials. As for field use or home defense, even using .357 loads I can't really think of any reason to limit oneself to five rounds of a caliber that is undisputedly anemic out of such a short barrel. It might have a place in the field if nothing larger could conveniently be carried.
And, as always, there is the possibility of the gun's simply being "right" for a particular person, all rationalizing about caliber and capacity aside. If it feels that way, then that's the gun to have (a bold statement in this place, to be sure
)
So, you going to get one?