Counting my chickens before they hatch, but I will hold out for an 18"-20" version.
+1
20 for me would be ideal, but honestly there aren't many places here were I'd have to stretch a shot over 500-600 yards and 16" sure would be nicer to hork around. This is really tempting, as soon as I see a few range tests.
Doesn't look bad to me although Ruger's past bullshit about mags and assault weapons still kind of bugs me.
I can't be authoritative because I was still in high school when this happened and not in congress, but this is about when I started getting into debate/politics. As I recall, Bill Ruger said that rather than a weapon ban, they should concentrate on the magazines, since
a) they would never logistically be able to pull off a weapons ban, ever, and
b) I make guns for a living and so do Colt, S&W, and many other respected American brands and we like making money, and
c) its legally and morally more just to have a categorical law (ex; ANY mag above x rounds) that can be enacted or repealed with a single amendment than to pick and chose the guns to ban.
Could be off a little, but I seem to remember just about every gun manufacturer capitulating in some way. Colt, Remington, and S&W have all earned the ire, too. Sometimes they just have to scramble to survive, and be happy they only lost 5 yards.
Regardless, Bill Ruger has gone on to other things and Ruger has been sticking with the whole business thing lately.