Smith 696 in .44 special. 3" roundbutt L frame. Carried one for a while with CCI 200 grain Gold Dots, around 1,000 fps IIRC. Aluminum cases made them affordable enough to practice with too.

Solid gun but easy enough to carry, no hammer shroud but I just covered it with my thumb on the draw.
I could shoot it decently in fast double action, plenty good enough for close range. Gun is mechanically accurate as well.
Not a lot of recoil (or muzzle flash in dim light), but I'll bet its very effective for self defense.

Last edited by kragman1; 03/29/21.

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