ECQ advantages is definitely a primary reason why I choose a snub and specifically a 2" snub. Hammerless 3" models are extremely rare and an enclosed hammer is as important of a factor in ECQ if not more so than the barrel length of the weapon. In terms of weapon retention, an extra inch can actually have a fairly sizable impact. I've seen a few high profile defensive shooting instructors claim that if you're well versed in retention skills, barrel length won't matter much. That simply isn't true IMO. The problem with their retention training is that it is usually limited to very robotic controlled drills much like a lot of traditional martial art training is conducted. Even most of the defensive tactics instructors from police departments I've worked with over the years don't have a clue unfortunately.
H2H and ECQ skills are able to be pressure-tested much more effectively and realistically than defensive shooting skills which rely much more on the theoretical. Force-on-Force is the about the best you can do in the context of defensive shooting training, but it has it's limitations. ECQ scenarios by contrast can be simulated very realistically since they primarily focus on accessing and retaining the weapon in a contact environment, defending strikes, positional control and movement rather than on shooting. A real gun isn't even required for such training. The problem is very few people have ever engaged in such training, don't understand it nor the actual defense scenarios where it would be applicable yet think they do and high quality training that focuses on it is very difficult to find.
Many people think high profile equals quality, but I would point to the state of the martial arts prior to the rise of MMA and reality-based training as being analogous where much of the general public thought the flamboyant techniques demonstrated by their favorite martial arts movie star represented the pinnacle of H2H effectiveness.
The autoloaders primary advantage is capacity. I don't view that extra capacity likely being an asset in a public civilian defense scenario whereas I think the ECQ advantages of the hammerless snub will more likely factor in. I do own several Glocks, but they are usually reserved for home defense scenarios where I have ample lead time. If investigating a noise that is most likely nothing, answering the door to a stranger etc., where a contact scenario is more probable, I'll still choose a snub.
