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Two guns +
Badcompany,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice.
Advice will be more accurate if we knew something more of your situation. I have assumed that your purpose is informal target shooting with maybe a little home protection in mind.
I observe that your two choices are typically chambered in revolvers. Is that because you are considering reloading (revolvers are kinder to the brass) or some other reason?
I suggest two guns and a reloading setup. 22 rimfire and .357 magnum (or 38 special, but the .357 will chamber and fire both cartridges). If your range does not allow you to shoot your own handloads in your own gun, find another range. (Make sure they understand you will be using the handloads only in your own gun, not in theirs. Talk to the owner or the chief range officer and ask nicely for their reasoning and ask for a waiver before you give up on your chosen range. Don't burn any bridges.)
So you know my perspective, I will describe my shooting habits: Like you, I shoot more on the target range for fun than in the field.
I own and shoot a number of handguns:
22 Rimfire (semi-automatic, double action revolver and single action revolvers).
9mm Semi-automatics and .45ACP semiautomatics and one seldom shot .357 semiauto (A Coonan).
Single action .357 revolver, double action revolver in 2.5", 2.75", 4", 6" and 8" barrels.
.44 Magnum double action revolvers. 5.5" and 7.5"
Double action and single action 454 Casull (which also shoot 45 Colt)
Ammunition for the 22 rimfire is 1/10 the price of centerfire ammunition (per shot). I think everyone should have a 22 rimfire.
I reload for everything except the 22 rimfire.
When I bought my first gun (357 Magnum Dan Wesson), I also bought a reloading setup because I knew I could not afford to shoot if I had to buy factory-made ammunition. Best decision I ever made.
Since you shoot 9mm and 38 Special, I suggest you consider the Ruger Blackhawk Single Action revolver, which is available with two cylinders, one chambered for 38/357 and the other for 9mm. Single actions are (my opinion) slightly easier to care for than double action revolvers and the Blackhawk is strong enough to load screaming hot 357 Magnum loads if you want.
Echoing what several others have posted, the 45 Colt is a fine cartridge, but can be expensive. In Ruger Redhawks and other strong guns, the 45 Colt can be loaded to 44 Magnum power levels. 38 Special is much cheaper and .357 magnum is plenty powerful for most functions.
On barrel length. the .357 magnum cartridge is a 6-inch cartridge (opinion). It was developed in the '50s and typically chambered behind an 8 3/8" barrel for hunting purposes and a 6" barrel for holster carry for law enforcement. 6" seems to me to be a compromise for convenient carry. 4" is an even bigger compromise. I will grant that with modern gunpowders and careful design of the cartridge and the bullet, 4" is not a bad barrel length, but 6" will give better ballistics, a longer sighting radius and a trifle more comfort behind the trigger.
Lost Sheep
Remember, believe only half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for everything you find on the internet
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