Savage,
It took me a bit to remember why I am so dead set against mouse guns, because I have had this attitude for so long.
About 25 years ago, I found myself standing behind a roadblock, armed with a .38 snubby and a borrowed deer rifle, backing up an untrained deputy, waiting for a carload of armed robbers.
That only happened to me once. I sold the snubby right after that, and carried my 4" M19 and speedloaders from then on, until I went to the 1911. Like you, I had thought that I would never need more gun than that snubby.