Since you have the longer Ruger already, a 4-inch S&W should work well for you. I don't find the shorter barrel a lot of fun to shoot, but I remember it was a little more tolerable when I was younger.

A .44-caliber 250-275 grain cast flat-nose bullet whizzing along at 1000-1200 FPS is nothing to sneeze at, and that is normal stuff for a 4-inch .44. Precise and quick shooting is probably a lot more important than another 100-200 FPS of velocity. Be prepared for practice. It's not an easy gun to shoot well.