I am looking for a .357 magnum revolver to carry while I am hunting. The gun would be carried in addition to the rifle or shotgun I would be hunting with, i.e. a lot of carry and a little bit of shooting, which steers me away from the N-frame guns from this application. I've got a bunch of 686 models with half-lug 4" barrels that I like, but . . . I want a 6" barrel gun and I strongly dislike the full underlug the 6" 686's always seem to have. This seems to be leading me to a M66 as my only option. I would love to have a 686 6" with half-lug barrel, but, sadly, I don't think S&W has ever made such a gun. Also, for aesthetic reasons, I am not interested in any models with the internal lock when a non-IL version is available.

For a M66 for shooting (i.e. not collecting), which engineering change is the best shooter model of M66?

TIA

--shinbone