I own a .357 Ruger Blackhawk 6.5", a Taurus 4" nickel M66, a 3' Taurus M66, a 2" Taurus M605 Poly Protector, and a 20" Rossi M92 lever action carbine iin the caliber.
i have owned in the past, a SP101 2", a 4" Ruger security six, and a 4" Smith and Wesson M19. Of those, the SP101 is the only one I'd want back.
The 605 Poly is my most recent, think LCR. It's well made, perfectly timed, 3" at 25 yards accurate (2" barrel, short sight radius) from the bench. It shoots to POA with a 140 grain Speer JHP and a solid base .38 cast wadcutter (practice load). I LOVE this thing for carry. I got it for a tick over 300 bucks. The LCR has a lighter trigger, no smoother, just lighter and is a good gun, too. Equal price, I'd pick the better trigger of the LCR, but I shoot the Taurus quite well in DA and a heavier trigger, I've learned through actual experience, feels REAL light when your adrenalin is up. Figuring that might actually be an advantage. And, I do like the fact that I can cock and shoot it single action.
I've carried the 3" Taurus, too, but it's 35 ounces vs the Poly's 19 ounces. It's 1.5" at 25 yards accurate from the bench, though, and shoots POA with my carry .357 load, the 140 Speer, and pretty close with most other loads. That's an impressive thing about that revolver. Don't really have to adjust sights load to load like with the others.
My 4" Taurus 66 has a smooth trigger every bit as good as any Smith and Wesson K frame. It's a bit better than the 3" gun which is a little more rough, but still not bad. This gun is a tack driver, carry it on hikes afield when I feel I need a gun along in bear country or two legged mule/coyote country. It was an awesome find used at $197 at a gun show maybe 15 years back. It was in like new condition, tighter than the 3" 66 which I also bought used at gun show which showed a bit more wear, both holster wear and a little looser in the action, but still in good shape.
I swapped a 4" stainless Security Six for my Blackhawk, a FAR better shooting gun, heavier, less felt recoil. I don't know what it was about that Security Six, but even with a Hogue on it, recoil was rough, rougher than the SP101 I had despite the fact that it weighed more. It wasn't accurate for squat with .38 wadcutters, either, any .38s I tried, and it shot .38s a little lower and WAY left of any .357 magnum loads. Weird. I didn't care much for it, so I made the swap. The Blackhawk has taken me deer and hogs afield and I plink with heavy loads in it because it's so danged strong and heavy enough and with the grips I have on it, recoil is nothing. I can put 5 180 Hornadys into 4" at 100 yards with that thing off the bench just with the irons...or could, not sure anymore as my eyesight isn't getting better in old age. Helluva accurate revolver, though.
I can't say which is best, just depends on the job to be done. The Poly gets carried the most. I think if you opt for the LCR, you will love it as a carry, very similar to the Poly. With hot loads and heavy bullets it'll be rough to shoot, but I carry the 140s, not bad, and practice with the wadcutters which of course is budda.
That's just my experience with individual guns. I sold the M19 because it was no better than the Taurus 4" 66 I picked up and didn't shoot as well with .38s. All my Taurus revolvers do have one thing in common, uncommon accuracy. You'd never know that listening to the internet S&W koolaid drinkers. I've owned examples of both and the only Smith currently in my possession is an older M10, 60s vintage. Do yourself a favor if you're shopping for Smith and Wesson, and look at the older guns pre-lock.
JMHO
