I'd get either the standard 60 in 357, you could carry it with full-house magnum loads, lighter mags, 38+Ps, or standard 38s, and it would work just fine with all of the above. Same deal for the SP101. I find I like the feel of the grip on the SP better, but prefer the fit, finish and overall 'look' of the Smiths. Suffice it to say that either gun would serve just fine. You might at some point want to bob the hammer though, just remove the thumb cocking piece.....you could still cock it with a combination of trigger and thumb on the hammer, provided that you exercised reasonable caution when doing so, but it would not be nearly as likely to snag on clothing or parts of a purse or bag during an adrenalin-charged draw. That's the big advantage to the DAOs like the 442 which you didn't like. And I'd not be too worried about what might happen to your gun should you have to use it in a social setting. If you do, God help you, your life will be forever changed, and most likely not for the better. You'll be investigated, probably sued, will live in lawyer's offices, will spend vast sums of money protecting your freedom and your assets from seizure; simply put, you will have much larger fish to fry than worrying about the wherabouts of a $400 gun. That'll be the very least of your worries. About the only good news in the whole situation will be that you're still alive and taking in oxygen.
