The TD option seems like marketing fluff to me, its not like fitting the Ruger into a carry-on is going to be an issue anytime soon. There's pleny of good cheap rifle cases with slings and many more accessories to make the standard lighter and more accurate.
It seems like most places I go to lately have started stocking the Henry Survival Rifle (or AR-7), including Walmart, MC Sports, and BigR. Maybe Ruger's marketing dept. has noticed this trend toward colapsable, small profile rifles and they want some of that market share.