[Nick_C_S]

I'm a long-time, big fan of the .357. I have the utmost confidence in the stopping power of the round. And they don't have to be wide-open-throttle, full-power rounds to be effective (the Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 grain, being an excellent example).

For me, the choice is the Smith 686. I own three: a 4", an 8 3/8", and a 7-shot 3". But there a lot of good ones out there. Taurus 66 is a fine piece too.

I have nothing against semi-autos; and I own a few myself. But if I ever have to defend myself against a bad guy, I hope I have a .357 in my hand. Sturdy, easy to use (point-n-click), reliable, and powerful.