[B.L.E.]

Indeed I wonder that Ruger decided to market the revolver in the first place and that it lasted as long as it did.

I have heard that it was one of Bill Ruger's pet gun designs.
That's why the demise of Bill Ruger may have had something to do with it.
Sort of the same situation at FoMoCo, they had to wait till Henry Ford I died before they could drop the flathead V-8. Although, the ROA has far fewer design flaws than the old Ford flathead V-8 did.