I strongly suggest you look at used revolvers. There are plenty of them out there for less money than new.
S&W made some great guns. I have lots of 'em and love 'em. However I won't buy any made after 2000. S&W went downhill bad after that.
Never really cared for the Ruger GP-100. Feels clunky to me. But lots of people love 'em.
Now if you can find an old Ruger Security Six you'll a a true gem on your hands. Same size as a S&W K-frame, but way tougher. A steady diet of full house .357s won't hurt it at all.
Colts are a category all their own. Great guns, but pricey.
I have nothing at all against Taurus. Many years ago they had a bad reputation, but they've improved greatly over the years. Near as I can tell, these days Taurus is making good guns.
Tell us more about what you're looking for. Size, caliber, barrel length and whatever else you can think of.