I prefer the half lug, or even better, the slender tapered barrel with a simple front latch. I think the finest balancing 4 inch revolver that has ever been made is one of the tapered barrel 38 spl. K frames, be it model 10, 15, or 67. They put the point of balance just a tick forward of the trigger and are very easy to bring on target quickly. I also think that it's no accident that the tapered barrel M&P defined the ideal Police service weapon for about 80 years, when you need a double action revolver that's a superb tool for a gunfight, you want something that makes it easy to hit your target quickly and well.

Fact is that when shooting rapid fire DA drills the gun that I group best with is my old model 67. With my 620, which does feature a half lug profile but also has noticebaly more mass in the barrel my groups run about 30% larger unless I slow down my rate of fire. As for why, take a 24 ounce hammer and try to stop it quicly mid swing, then take an 8 ounce tack hammer and do the same think. All that mass out in front may reduce muzzle flip but it also adds a lot of inertia way out front that has to be overcome.