That's put there as the direct result of a lawsuit that Ruger lost in which they were forced to pay $422K to a person who accidentally shot himself with a Ruger he had stolen.It still scrolls that hideous disclaimer on the barrels, greatly detracting from the looks.
http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions\pub\90/90-6036.0.wpd.pdf
Bill Ruger Sr., is widely reported has having said that the reason Ruger stopped making the Security/Speed line was because they couldn't produce the guns at a profit.Second, Ruger bailed out of the Security- and Speed-Six line of revolvers for the simple (and only) reason being that S&W did it!
In the Gun Digest book of Handgun Reloading, Grennell and Clapp did a rather extensive test of a huge number of handloads using the Ransom rest.... the GPs aren't as accurate as the S&W 686s!...the Rugers do not compete well with either the Python or the 686. They're uglier and not as accurate.
They tested 30 different guns in calibers ranging from .380 up to .45 Colt. 11 guns by S&W and 6 guns from Colt were tested including a S&W 586 and a Colt Python.
The smallest group shot by any of the 30 guns in the testing was shot using the Ruger GP100 they tested. It was 0.472"--6 shots, at 25 yards using a Ransom Rest. In all fairness, the 586 and the Python weren't far behind, turning in their best groups of 0.550" for the Python and 0.525" for the 586.
The largest average group for the GP100 was 2.5". The five largest average groups for the Python were 5", 5", 3.5", 3" & 3". For the 586, 3.75", 3.5", 3.5", 3.5" and 3".
The GP100 shot 1" average groups or smaller with 13 of the handloads tested. The 586 shot 1" average groups or smaller with 3 of the handloads tested. The Python's smallest average group with any of the handloads tested was 1.25"
There may be some areas where the GP100 can't match up to the Python and the 586/686, but accuracy doesn't seem to be one of them.
In all fairness, Ruger has tried for several military contracts and has simply not been very successful in that arena.Ruger has chosen to forgo the military route and build guns for the working man...