Lock it? No way! We haven’t discussed which is better for bear protection!
I can offer advice on the 357. Forget the 7 round and go with the 8 round 608.
I have 3 of the 608s and also reload. I have the 4" which I chopped off the compensator & turned it into 3". Got the 6" in shiny SS and finally the 8 3/4" in matte SS. That one gets interesting looks at the range. Shooting 38's in 'em is almost as light as 22LR due to the amount of metal on them.
The trigger on 'em are smooth as any S&W. I own the S&W 627, too - so I can honestly say that the triggers are comparable.