Many that have a .357 platform choose to carry .38+p rounds in their revolver for defensive use. In short barrels, the flash and negatives of the .357 outweigh the positives. The .357 is one of the gold standards in terms of defensive rounds, and out of a 3 or 4" barrel, it's probably the better round. For lightweight snubs that many choose to carry, .38+p is a really good round these days, especially the Speer 135gr+p short barrel Gold Dots.
Personally, I decided to go with a strictly .38 platform when picking a snub years ago, and went with a 642. There are a lot of opinions on this, and I'm sure this thread will take off.