Gonna part with conventional, comemporary wisdom and go WAAAY out on a limb, here....
I believe, personally at least, that the single best snubbie offered on the market at present is the .38 Special 442 Airweight Centennial.
Why?
Well, other than it's light weight, there's this:
1. The design (hammerless) has been copied on other guns, but the Centennial has a "hump" at the top of the grip frame that helps recoil unbelievably. It almost forces the muzzle back down on target.
2. Stoke your .38 with 158 gr. Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollowpoints in +P (the famous FBI load), and you'll find that your stopping power will be right up there in a league with a .357 in the 2-inch barrel length. Remember, that fabulous 125 grain .357 jhp ain't whippin' out of THIS barrel at 1500 fps!!!
3. Firing .38 Special in a .357 doesn't hurt anything... except accuracy. With it's shorter cartridge, the bullet literally has to "jump" from the case to the end of the chamber into the forcing cone. This does NOT help matters one little bit when you're trying to knock a tin can off a post... or put a round into center mass of a bad guy.
There, I'm done... flame suit zipped, helmet on. 8)
Flyer