Has Ruger ever made an attractive, iconic firearm?

Redhawk in .41 Mag.
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This’ s maybe been stated already but...

Ruger generally makes utilitarian firearms IMO. They always have. Whatever aesthetic appeal they may have is probably incidental to their purpose. I.E. the single six’es, especially the older ones with fixed sights had a nostalgic draw for many because their association with Colts SAA. The Colt SAA though if you really look at it is a hunchback, club footed, lump of steel. It works, it is efficient for the tasks at hand. Put some engraving on it, and some ivory stocks, its now a tattooed pig in nice leather shoes. I like the red hawk series, have owned one, but they’re IMO butt-ugly.
I own 7 plus Rugers now, have owned another 10 or so over the years, but I like them for what they are and what they do, not for how they look,.

With a few exceptions, Ruger has never copied anything. The few exceptions I can think of off the cuff are the SR556 and SR1911 (just uses investment casting). The LCP is debateable but is pretty close to a copy.

10/22s might look like M1 Carbines, Mark series might look like a Nambu, and Vaqueros may look like Colt SAAs but there are obvious aesthetic and engineering differences.

I suppose some real innovation went into the LCR at least as far as materials engineering is concerned. Lets face it, there are not too many firearms where plastic plays a significant role in aesthetic design that many of would call handsome or elegant. Yet that is primarily what companies crank out year after year in all firearm categories.

Ruger has made it no secret the Mini-14 was a scaled down M-14. In that regard, I would say the Mini-14 is quite iconic or at the very least, a good idea. A better idea than, "Hey lets make a 1911 too". The exposure it got on the A-Team also helped. When I hear the name Ruger, the first thing that pops into my head is the 10/22. Good or bad, right or wrong, it is what Ruger is known for.

Attractive, original looking, iconic. #1.

I got my Ruger Mark IV with a 7" fluted barrel not because I'm good enough to benefit from that barrel-- I'm not--but because I think it's just gorgeous with the total package of that barrel, stainless steel, and wood grip panels. Like something Captain Mal would carry on Firefly. Shiny.

Mitlov said:

I got my Ruger Mark IV with a 7" fluted barrel.

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Now if they made that in .22TCM or 5.7 that'd be really something.