Charter 2000: jury is still out. The designs are basically very good, very proven, and the Bulldog .44Spl is a wonderful concept in "power-to-weight" while still being shootable. We just don't know how widespread the sometimes-spotted QC issues are, or whether they date to early production or this year's latest.
For the moment, I would not recommend buying one sight-unseen, and check your dealer's specimens carefully.
The line between Ruger and S&W is odd. Finish, and "exotic ideas" nods go to S&W. Toughness goes to Ruger, pretty much across the board. Functional single actions, Ruger just totally dominates. Ruger has a factory DA .454 sixgun, and the SBH is easily the toughest DA wheelgun ever made, bar none, end of discussion
.
But Ruger still has "qualms" about doing combat-optimized wheelguns. Where is the 8-shot .357 SBH with a 3" tube and smaller grip option from the GP100 (which bolts straight on already)? Could the SP101 be converted to .44Spl? Could the GP100 be set up with 7 rounds of .357? Or six .44Spls?
Where are the factory Tritium or fiber optic sights? For that matter, if Taurus can play with Titanium, why can't Ruger? It's tougher than Scandium/Aluminum alloys, weighs less than steel, yet has enough mass to keep recoil somewhere south of "insane", especially with Ruger's traditional beefy designs.
In the SAs, Gary Reeder is getting the weight of 4" barrel .45 Vaqueros down to 28oz, in steel, with no loss in strength. Recoil is wild with +Ps, but they're not recommended only because of recoil issues. With a TI cylinder and aluminum grip frame, Ruger could equal that or beat it.
This lack of "creativity" is Ruger's biggest Achilles heel.