I have no experiences with Taurus, but I own many Rugers and Smiths. You can't go wrong with either. In 357M I only own Smiths but I have been keeping my eye open for a short-barreled Ruger. As has been said in previous posts here, Rugers are stoutly built. For a home defense weapon, not carried, the weight may not be undesirable and might be of benefit when shooting magnum loads. I suggest you handle several possible choices and shoot them if possible to see what feels comfortable. With a $1,000 price range you should not be limited by money. For a 7-shot revolver, your only choices may be S&W or Taurus. I own a 4" Model 66 (fairly light) and a 6" Model 686 (more heft), magnum loads are more of a handful in the M-66. Both are 6-shots. I think the M-686P is the 7-shot. Good luck in your search and decision.