I actually own a S&W model 60-15 3" with an idiot lock that has caused me trouble. When I oafishly knocked the unloaded gun from a countertop to the hardwood floor, the lock's "flag" mechanism (the part that has the little tit that engages the hammer itself and locks the hammer up) got a bit crossways in its slot and jammed the thing up tight as a drum. Since I was home and not engaged in a fight with a felon, I was able to dig the "key" out of the box in the safe and set it to right by fully engaging the lock and then disengaging it.
Had I not been home, I would have been holding a fairly small inert piece of steel.
Even if I had the "key" on me, pulling out a keyring and trying to find an especially small one is not on my dance chart if I'm struggling and in need of my self-defense gun.
So . . . based on my experience, I would
strongly advise you to look around until you found something without the idiot lock. You're too nice a guy to have to deal with such potentially dangerous hassles.
On the other hand, if you're really set on stainless steel and you don't mind the idiot lock, the Smith & Wesson model 60-14 is their new 2" Chief's Special in .357 mag, and it's a pretty nice gun. The trigger pull is crisp and smooth, and all the smart little touches (rounding off the parts that need rounded, etc.) have been done from the factory. The internal parts are hard and I've found that my gun is capable of firing anything from lightweight .38s to superheavyweight Buffalo Bore .357s with aplomb. (The manager of NM's biggest volume gun store tells me that the 60s hold up better than the SP-101s. This might be counterintuitive for anyone who's held the tanklike SP, but the man tells me that "Smith internals are done
right," and that makes sense.)
I've owned S&W Centennials (hammerless DAO revos), and I was surprised to find that I missed the SA capability. While there are some of the humpbacked concealed hammer J-frames out there in stainless, you specified new, so I'd advise sticking with the model 60.
The snub that
I most often carry, however, isn't stainless or a S&W: it's a Colt Agent that was built in 1976. I have it with me right now, in fact. It's essentially the same size as the J-frames, but it holds an extra round, and that 16-oz weight (Al-framed) is mighty pleasant for pocket-carry.
Best of luck with it, Chris. I hope you'll let us know what you decide.