Hrm.
That said: a Ruger wheelgun is probably the safest sort of gun to shoot without eye protection. Even in a catastrophic failure (double-charge load or something blowing the cylinder up) they don't tend to break the topstrap. It'll bulge a lot before it breaks - Ruger metallurgy is quite good. The cylinder will blow bits sideways of course so everybody ELSE should have eye protection (sigh).
When an S&W wheelgun cuts loose, the topstrap often WILL break, throwing the rear sight anywhere from straight up to straight back. (Dunno about the new 500 or similar X-Frame, but the K/L/Ns can blow the topstrap if the cylinder cuts loose.)
A lowly J frame with a badly overcharged .357 round, no blown top strap ??
Jim , your anti S&W bias gets tiresome at times, last time we crossed paths it was the sideplate that was going to launch. If you prefer Rugers thats fine , but if the gun is truly good it doesn't have to throw half true jabs at the others to exalt itself. Where does the rear sight go from the Ruger by the way? Does the gun devour it to protect the user?
Ray