BlkHawk73, Excellent post! I own a variety of guns and try not to be "brand sensitive" just because I own quite a few Rugers. No, they are not the best guns you can buy but they are the "best bang for the buck".
I totally agree with the "low left" issue. I have fired many customer's guns where they claim the gun isn't shooting to POA (usually low - left). I seldom have a problem keeping the holes in the black. This issue is with all hand guns, not just Rugers. Usually a "fix" is nothing more than a pair of grips that fit the shooter and of course some training and practice. No company can make a gun that fits everone's hand. No company can design a gun to eliminate shooter errors. Single action revolvers are the hardest gun to master for marksmanship. This is because the lock time is so long. Lock time is the time it takes from when the trigger is pulled until the primer is struck. A S&W K frame has a 39 milisecond (.039 seconds) lock time whereas a Ruger Blackhawk has a 75 milisecond. The extra lock time gives the shooter plenty of time to drift off target.
As for the base pins, yes, they will "launch" if the shooter exceeds the gun's design limits. The good news is the Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks will take this abuse and still stay in one piece. Try that with another brand and you might be short some body parts. The real fix for base pins is a stronger latch spring (about a buck). Though the Belt Mountain Base Pins are an excellent product, they are more of a custom accessory than a "needed" part. They do indeed prevent base pin launching but so does the $1 latch spring.
I've been a gunsmith since the early 70's. My shops were located in the western states where Rugers out sold all other brands by a good margin. I seldom got a Ruger in for repair where a part was broken or worn out. Mostly, it was an action job, custom sights, grips, or rebluing. Can't say that about S&Ws, Colts, etc. That should tell you something.
It's only fair to say, the worst gun I ever bought was a Ruger KP-345PR. It had more problems right out of the box than any gun I've ever seen, 13 in all. I could have repaired the gun myself but I thought Ruger should do it just because. In my frustration and while the gun was at the factory, I bought a new SIG P-220. Same basic profile and caliber. This is about the finest example of quality you have ever seen. It should be too, it cost more than double of what I paid for the Ruger. I got the P-345 repaired and it is now an excellent shooter. The problems were from poor quality control on the internal parts and a few workmanship issues. I will probably sell it some day, not because of accuracy or function, just because the P-220 is a quantum leap better. Though Ruger P-guns are usually an excellent value, I'd have a hard time recommending a P-345 to anyone.
