I feel your pain. but you are overlooking a couple of excellent candidates.
First, the Ruger Speed/Service/Security Six series: they made a million and a half of them and they are generally cheaper than the S&W's. Now, they generally don't have as nice a trigger as a comparable S&W and they came with a 2 3/4" barrel option, but they are darned fine guns that are stronger than their Springfield Mass rivals. The drawback is that parts are not as available, so if something does break, you may find yourself with a new boat anchor. I have two, a 357 Speed Six and a Service Six, both with 2 3/4 inch barrels. I recently had to shove both hands in my pockets to keep from buying a Security Six snubbie to keep them company. The 357 Speed Six is in my winter CCW rotation. This is the gun I would look for if I was in your boots.
The other choice is the S&W 19/66 357 series. The 19 was the blued version and was a very popular choice with Investigators and Detectives back in the 60's, 70's and 80's, with the 66 coming along a bit later. I have a 66 which is one of my house guns. The problem with these is that they have become very expensive. If the new Colt Cobra makes you say ouch, these will make your wallet squeal like a pig. Good onesrun well on the long side of a 1000 bucks these days. The 2 1/2 barrel also has been criticized for not allowing full extraction of Magnum cases. There are scores of Gunsmiths who can make a K-frame Smith roll smooth as silk if your sample is a little rough. The chief drawback of the K-frame 357's is the barrel. They made a cutaway at the bottom of the forcing cone to allow clearance for the gas ring which will allow the barrel to crack there after as few as 1,000 full power mag loads. However, they will outlast you if restricted to a diet of mostly 38's with only occasional 357 usage. The newer ones are made on an odd ball frame, bigger than a K-frame but smaller than an L-frame, with a 3 inch barrel for full length extraction. The larger frame allows for a stronger forcing cone and should eliminate the barrel cracking problem. They are slightly cheaper than the older ones.
Another gun that is more of a curiosity and a collectors item would be the Dan Wesson Model 14. While the 2 1/2 inch version is pretty common, they also made a few with 2 " barrels. Rock Island Armory has their AL3 model 357.
Finally, if you are not married to a 357, there are plenty of K-frame 38's out there that will give excellent service despite their age. There are also some Colt Official Police models, as well as the Lawman 357, though these tend to command collectors prices these days. And I wouldn't totally discount the GP100. I have a 44 Special that sometimes rides on my hip in the winter.