I don't claim to be well read on the subject but I was under the impression that Colt was just a money man bean counter type of guy who bought the designs and manufacturing know-how. He was the deal maker who put it all together but not really a designer. Much of the history of all that is Colt is actually at the hands of his wife who ran things after he died.
Ruger (the company,don't know if the designs were Bills himself) is more or less responsible for the rebirth of single action pistols, I believe they had much to do with the stainless changeover and modern casting technique.
The Mark I and the 10/22 were/are brilliant.
Ruger does much very well but lots of their stuff is most remarkable for being a wonderfull design that for one reason or another falls short of what it could be . The mini/14-ranch rifle athough a great (borrowed) design is most known for for haveing a horrible trigger and crummy accuracy due to lousy barrels . The pc9 is a wonderfull idea that has a trigger that makes it pretty much unshootable.
Corporate policy seems to be that we as consumers shouldn't be trusted with magazines over 10 rounds or triggers that break at less than twice the weight of competeing products from other companys
