I had both at one time. Both Shot about the same, good of course, but I just liked the 3 inch with the adj sights a little better. As some have said the balance with the full lug barrel is about as close to perfect as you can get. I did take the 5 inch gun deer hunting a few times after I had gotten my buck and was driving deer for others. Never got a chance to use it but would have felt confident in a decent shot if one had presented itself. One thing is for sure it was a joy to carry as opposed to a slug gun. The Desantis holsters sold on the S&W website are very nice. I had holsters for both and was very pleased how high they rode and how close the the body they kept things. I did sell the 5 inch gun however to fund the purchase of a 625 with some regrets. Both would be great additions.