With my birthday approaching at the end of June I've decided to treat myself to a good revolver. With my funds being limited I want to choose a revolver that can cross over for concled carry or a home defense/hiking companion. I was look at a gp100, 686, or a sp101 with a three in barrel. All options in 375 mag. I would hate to buy something that just sat in the safe. I want something I'd actually carry. Thanks for any input given.
I don't think you can do better for an all-round firearm
In fact the 3" SP101 is the one I usually recommend for those who ask similarly
Small/light enough to conceal well, yet beefy enough to not make practice a chore
Good barrel length for carry yet still has enough length for good sighting and use of gas
Its also built like a tank so using 357 isn't going to be an issue and with 38 Special you'll likely never wear it out
Although for typical self defense 38 Special is perfectly suited in the SP, it doesn't break the bank so you can practice much more if on a budget and its actually fun to shoot.
In fact my preferred SP is actually the 3 inch "police" in 38 Special only, gutter sight and lanyard grip, a true "shooters" gun.
If I could only have one firearm and it was that model... I would be happy as a puppy.