Yeah...those S&W guys can say all they want. Ruger outlasted the best .22's during the era in Colt's models and High Standard's models, and the S&W has nowhere near the aesthetics of the Ruger in my opinion.
If it comes down to popularity, Ruger did kind of rest on its laurels for decades in the basic design of their .22 pistols, and it is a superb design...EXCEPT FOR RUGERS DISASSEMBLY PROCESS. Basically their .22 pistol series is a huge moneymaker because the receiver's are still tubular steel, the grip frames are still two steel shells welded together and the barrel is basic barrel stock. Maybe with being the only serious .22 pistol in the market for so long, Ruger's prices inched a little high, which let a competitor come in there with a less expensive product (not necessarily a less costly product to S&W!). I'd still bet Ruger's cost to build comparative Mark III pistols are a lot less than the S&W.
Are S&W's receiver and grip frame for the Victory both forged??
So for the rumors going around, we've heard Ruger is working on an improved takedown feature for their pistols. So we'll see. Get that changed and Ruger's pistol would be king of the hill again....not that it ever lost that title.
Chet15
