I like and have carried a 1 7/8" barrel Snubbie old Model 60 and its newer siblings. The major issue with the ultra short barrels is that you MUST practice ejecting spent rounds as the short rod on a short barrel snubbie is not forgiving of sloppy technique--basically you have to punch them out--it is also wise to practice reloading with a speedloader of some time. I use HKS because I am familiar with it but it does take one more step versus a Safari land. Speed strips, I've found are a bit harder to use on a Smith snubbies than service size revolvers.
Longer barrels allow a full ejection stroke.
Longer barrels allow a full ejection stroke.