Ruger’s really good products are their bolt guns, and their semi auto rimfires, their revolvers are also pretty good but that’s more of a niche that’s hard to completely fuck up. The Mini-14/Mini-30 are fine, but they need proprietary magazines, that only work with that gun (then again I have an FAL and Vz58 so bitching about proprietary magazines that not everyone offers is a bit hypocritical I know, but I knew that going in) and they’re based off the M-14 action so I really don’t see the attraction. I’ve heard OK things about their AR’s but really, Ruger’s only notable as one of the few US gun manufacturers who aren’t completely coasting on past success or brand name - they make good stuff at a decent cost, and at least make an attempt to keep up with new market ideas.
S&W are mediocre, Browning is kind of a joke now, Winchester doesn’t do shit, Springfield and Colt both completely coast on their brand name and “remember the 1911 and M16 that’s us” and Remington is fucking dead because they were a shit manufacturer.