I reluctantly bought a 3" 686 as my first gun because my preferred shop didn't have a 4" in stock (and everyone seemed to think of the 4" as the ultimate size). But he gave me a deal on it (seeing it as an oddball size I suppose), $90 less than what the 4" would sell for, so I bought it.

Now I'm glad I did. Feels great in the hand - even better than the 4" models I had handled at other stores.

And heck, anyone can have a 4" 686, right?