S&W is the "blast from the past". Their corporate parent is happy with the sales of old design, less capable revolvers because there are enough people that remember when they really WERE the best...back when! S&W hasn't really innovated anything on a revolver platform that comes to mind, except that internal lock and the move to MIM.
Ruger is the forward looking gun company. They build revolvers to take a pounding that would shake an S&W to pieces. The lock-work is superior, the trigger group comes out as an assembly, and they put more steel in the right places. Years ago they had an issue with the internal finish, but they've gotten after that to the extent that gun writers don't even mention grittiness anymore.