+1 to Revhigh and others. I still want a Mark III with a set of checkered Rosewood target grips before I would go for one of these, but I can see Ruger's really trying to fill all the niches here. It is a nice price, and they did do a nice job moulding the frame and magazine. It looks like it was done right.
Ruger stirs the pot some more....
It's really an apples/oranges comparison with a Mark III though. They're just very different guns, vastly different weights, different performance both in terms of muzzle velocity, aftermarket options, barrel lengths available, everything.
OK it's pushing out probably 10% less muzzle velocity on the same ammo. as a Mark III Target 5.5" barrel. And yeah, it's probably never going to be as intrinsically accurate. But it only weighs !!18 ounces!!
One thing that I don't like about it is that the safety/decocker is backward from the SR series guns. Also I'm a little nervous about the longevity/durability of that takedown lever. I hope it's not as flimsy as it looks, or starts falling down all by itself.
I'll bet it's less expensive for Ruger to manufacture than a Mark III of any variety. So it's probably going to be a profitable gun. I think it'll be popular if the reliability and quality are there. And if it's a profitable gun for Ruger, that's good, because profitable companies keep coming out with cool products and treat their customers well.
In the end I'm glad they did something completely new rather than try to morph the Mark III into something it's not supposed to be or try some kind of Frankenstein work on it. This is good - it's a totally different gun, a new choice, in a different niche entirely.