I recently picked up an older 686 (stainless) with a 4" barrel. I've put 150 rounds through it so far (38 Special, 38 Special +P and 357 Magnum). This is my first handgun but strongly feel I made the right choice for my purposes. Those purposes being home defense, shooting range fun, a car "glove-box" gun and backup while hunting. I may decide to carry it occassionally in the future but it's honestly a bit large for every day carry in my opinion.

Shooting 357 is "entertaining" but will likely stick with 38 rounds for most practice shooting as they are much cheaper and easier on the hands. I'll add that after shooting several rounds of 357 through the 686, I wouldn't want to consider shooting this round through a smaller gun...at least on a frequent basis. One last word; love the look of the stainless not to mention the more-forgiving maintenance on it. I keep my guns pretty clean but its nice to know the stainless is more resilient to the elements.