One of these would surely get my attention and I too would consider it so close to 3” that I would include it. Sort of like some snub nose that are 1.875” and we call it a two inch barrel !
Four more 3” barrel revolvers. Top right is a model 36 Smith with the heavy barrel. Middle right is a seven shot Charter Arms Professional in 32 H&R magnum, modified to shot to point of aim. Bottom right is Ruger SP101 in 327 Federal Magnum. Top left is a model 31-1 in 32 S&W long. Bottom left is a Ruger LCRx in 22lr, not as attractive as the steel frame guns but it is a great 8 round shooter.
Would like to get a Kimber one of these days, those have a great look and the instances I’ve handled in the LGS are sweet.
Would you take a trade ? I will give you a 6 inch for two of your 3 inchers. - Is that fair or what ! LOL I have the same problem actually. I have sold off most of my guns but I still have a 3 inch Rossie 720. ( I had 3 of them - I was planning on growing a third arm ). I have a 3 inch Taurus 94 yet. My brother has a 3 inch S&W Model 66 I almost talked him out of the other day. Actually he offered to give it to me, but I turned him down. I am to old and to sick to enjoy it , even though a part of me would love to have it.
I'm a 3" believer here's mine https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?attachments/unlocked-014-jpg.64627/ S&W 696 ND, I like the full length ejector rod.
Personally, I prefer either a 2 inch or a 4 inch. The 2 inch can be carried in places a 3 inch cannot and a 4 inch will generally be no more uncomfortable than a 3 inch.
S&W 317 Kit Gun Ruger GP100 .357 Mag Ruger GP100 .44 Spl Honorable mention to a 2.5-inch CA Bulldog in .44 Spl.
People are paying gunsmiths to saw off the barrels and butts of police trade in K-Smiths to the cult object 3" roundbutt. Some of them are paying big name gunsmiths a lot to apply froufrou cosmetics like cute little flats down the barrel sides. The Taurus 856 Defender checks all the boxes, even available with aluminum frame to mimic the Model 12. But it is still a Taurus.
When all is said about the virtues and desirability of the 3-inch revolver, just remember you will always be an inch short.
I addition to the 7 that I've posted pictures of, I too have a 3" barrel Taurus 856 Defender on order. It is the Taurus Defender 856 .38Special +P Tungsten Cerakote 3″ Barrel Revolver #2-8563CNS
I'm enamored by 3" revolvers,,, Especially the 3" S&W Model 36. I own a 1 7/8" Model 36 snubbie,,, I do good to hit the ground with that gun,,, It's amazing what that extra 1 1/8" does to my accuracy I own a Plain Jane blue model 36 that I bought at a pawn shop for $299,,, There are some deep dings on the upper part of the frame,,, I'm guessing it was dropped on concrete in the past. Doesn't affect her performance though,,, Butter smooth DA trigger and a tight cylinder. I bought this in a private sale on a different gun forum,,, Nickle plated 36 with the original grips,,, Paid $400 for this one. I bought it to mate up with my 4" nickle plated Model 34,,, I like owning matching (or near matching) centerfire/rimfire pairs. Aarond .
At the counter in the gun store, there were three revolvers. Goldilocks was in need of a defensive revolver. She tried the 4" revolver. "This revolver is too long!" she exclaimed. So, she tried the 2" revolver. "This revolver is too short!" she said. So, she tried the last revolver, with a 3" barrel. "Ahhh, this revolver is just right," she said happily and she went looking for another, they were so addictive.
I swore that I that I would never buy another Taurus......................................I may have been mistaken!
My 3” GP100 is a fine shooting revolver. Sometimes it looks like this... And sometimes, it looks like this...
Back in the early 80's I went looking for something small for my wife. The lgs which catered to the local PD told me that officers who had trouble qualifying with 2" snubs bought the 3" 36. So that is what I bought her. At the time they had a 2" Detective Special which I thought long and hard on as well as a 3" Rossi which at the time was overhsadowed by the 36. I came to really enjoy that gun myself. If I had ever dreamed that Illinois would one day have concealed carry I would have never traded it off. Turns out she liked the trigger better on my K frame and shot it much better. Last year I waked into a lgs to see my first Rossi 720. I agaonized over it for a month before someone else bought it. For me, it as well as a model 13 I handled just felt a little too heavy for edc all day, every day, so I passed. Finally wound up with a pair of Charter Arms from the 80's. Both have gone back to the factory for different issues. The Bulldog finally got a new Shelton Classic barrel to replace the Stratford barrel that shot about 3" left. That repair got it a really nice polish and rebluing. She's purty now and shoots straight, esp with 215 gr loads. The other is a nice 2" undercover in Stainless that also need some polishing to remove a few machining marks on the rear of the cyl and deep lines around the cylinder. One day I'll take some photos of them together. I love 3" but also like the 2" for jacket pocket carry. One of those 3" S&W 10-4s came up on an auction site for $700 but I just couldn't bring myself to hit buy. They sure are tempting. The add I bought it from after new barrel
If you're using a magnum, sure, but I don't use .357/.44 Mag in a 2 inch and if I was, I'd take the 4 because the velocity gain from 3 to 4 with a magnum is substantial. For lower pressure cartridges like .32 H&R, .38, and .45 Colt... the extra inch doesn't add enough to be enough.
I have a few J frame S&W revolvers with 3" barrels. Here are a couple with square butts which I like: Top is a 36-1, middle is a 37-0, and the bottom is a 31-1
