I love my latest S&W 610 revolver. Shoots both 10 and 40 with full or half moon clips. It surprised me how well a 40 performs from a six inch barrel.
Now some comments you can take or leave from an old time soldier, cop, hunter, gunsmith, and handgun packer/shooter for more than 60 years:
1. Revolver recoil is easily controlled by placing the shooting hand thumb where it belongs---firmly at the rear of the cylinder shroud! Your thumb is the strongest part of your hand and properly placed, it forces the recoil to come straight back with no barrel jump or banging the rear of the trigger guard against the second finger. Neither I nor anyone else who's fired them can handle more a couple of rounds from my pair of Magnum Research BFRs, 10 inch barrels, in 45-70 without the thumb brace. My standard loads for the 'beasts' are 405 grain bullets in front of 52 grains of IMR 4320. Anyway, the ball of the thumb firmly on the rear of the cylinder shroud is critical with these monsters. If you can't get your thumb there I won't let you shoot them.
2. I agree about the Ruger single actions in 44 mag. A powerful, accurate handgun and relatively light to boot. As for carrying large handguns for hunting, hiking, etc., I prefer a chest holster rather than the 'big iron' flopping on my hip cowboy style.
3. Handgun hunting. My usual duty gun with my local Sheriff's dept when in uniform is a S&W 41 mag with six inch barrel and several speed loaders. When in detective mode, I now pack an HK 45. I used to elk and deer hunt with the 41 and tagged out every year but now I've pretty much quit hunting just from pure laziness and other interests....
4. I do not agree that the 10 equals the 41 mag in energy or velocity. No way. Just the case capacity will tell you that. I chrono 220 grain half jackets from my S&W 41 at a bit more than 1700. At a local police training range, my 41 will put a round through a sedan drivers door, the dummy inside, and out the other door. Don't think a 10 will do that.
5. Re Glocks: Like many of you, I also have a love/hate relationship with the damned things. But they will shoot. Glock failures are rare and properly held they're damned accurate. With autos, BTW, the shooting hand thumb should be extended way to the side and NOT wrapped down around the grip over the other fingers. The thumb over fingers thing is for plow handles and not auto pistols. Why? Just extend your thumb to the side with your empty hand and see how it tightens up the web of your hand right where an auto recoils. Extending the thumb provides a firmer surface for the pistol to recoil into, thus no more stovepipes, etc., also forces you to grip correctly.
6. S&W 629s versus Ruger Redhawks. I own and shoot both but I prefer the Ruger even thought the Smith is more 'elegant.' Why? No sideplate and no screws on the Rugers to work loose and lose. The Ruger is also much stronger with a beefy lockup at both ends of the cylinder and a heavier barrel mount. The Smith on the other hand has a much less sturdy barrel mounting and their front cylinder lockup is only the spring loaded tip of the cylinder axle. For another item, the Ruger cylinder bolt notches are offset from the chambers while the Smith has its notches centered on the chambers. That, IMO, has to weaken them somewhat. Having said that, I've never personally blown a Smith 44 mag cylinder but I do think about it when I'm firing heavy hand loads.
