eagleye,
First of all, welcome to The Firing Line. Questions like yours are always welcome as many of us learn from the answers as well.
I was considering a 686 or a GP100 for a time and decided on the Ruger, but it was a tough choice. Both are quality guns for a reasonable price. I would like to hear other people's opinions on this subject as well.
One other thing eagleye, this should have been posted to the Handguns Forum, not General. Some eagle-eyed moderator will probably move it over there for you.
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RKBA!
"A right is not what someone gives you; it's what no one can take from you." - Ramsey Clark
"Rights are liable to be perverted to wrongs when we are incapable of rightly exercising them." - Sarah Josepha Hale