I always preferred 4", 6" and 6.5" barrels for most of my handguns, though I have several 2" and 2.5" barreled guns, which I also enjoy. I never owned an 8 3/8" barreled gun until I purchased a Model 27-2 in that barrel length a couple of years ago. I'd always wanted to try one, but they were very hard to find for many years (actually, during the '70s and 80's, they were the most highly sought after variation in N frames, and also carried much higher price tags than the shorter barreled guns). All I can say is, try one. If you don't like it (which I doubt), you can always sell it. Honestly, I thought they would be a bit awkward to carry and handle, and wasn't sure that there would be much, if any, increase in practical accuracy to justify the difference in carry and handling. They are not as convenient to carry as shorter barreled guns, but that part is not as bad as one may think, either on the hip (unless you spend 8-12 hours a day in a patrol car) or in a shoulder rig (actually one of the most comfortable ways to carry one, if you have a good shoulder rig). They are great shooters, very accurate, well balanced (target competitors generally prefer a slightly muzzle-heavy gun), and a lot of fun to shoot. I was nicely surprised by the shooting qualities of the 8 38/" gun, and it seems to get nicer every time I shoot it. I bought the gun to try out the barrel length, partly out of curiosity, but it is now a permanent resident of my collection, and I'm considering the purchase of several others in that barrel length.
