To answer the original question, IMHO, Bill Ruger is not a modern day JMB. That being said, JMB was a gun designer--he never manufactured firearms as he always had someone do that for him (Winchester, Colt, and FN immediately come to mind) and Bill Ruger was a firearms manufacturer that happened to design a few guns (or did someone design them for him?). Its and Apple vs Oranges comparison.
Bill Ruger designed the early Ruger guns (not Winchester, Colt, etc.)which ended up in some interesting details that not many today understand. For one, the tang safety on the Ruger No. 1 doesn't just block the trigger, but the firing-pin fall--like the Model 70 3-position safety. There's plenty of documentation for all this--if you actually look it up instead of "guessing."
Winchester (and other manufacturers) simplified the designs of many John Browning guns for easier manufacturing--including the original "Winchester" single-shot.
