For Chief Specials I have always liked the 3" barrel. My first S&W was a 3" model 36 bought in 1963. I shot it a lot and wore it a lot and finally swapped it toward a 22/32 kit gun several years later. I had bought a model 60 and thought that I really didn't need a blue j frame. After a number of years I searched for a replacement and 3" guns were not that pleantiful. Finally I found this nice pre 36 3" serial 553XX which Roy dated as March 1956. It was my first square butt J Frame. I have the original grips but these S&W targets work well.