There's little doubt he was speaking of the lightness (for its day) and handiness due to the shorter action. It wasn't the only time he spoke that way of the Ruger No 1. For example:

Quote
I am going to try to sneak enough dough out of the budget for a Ruger No.1. It is to be a light, handy rifle for a lazy old man to hunt sheep with. I think it will be a 7×57, a 270, or a 280 with a 4x scope and a 24 or 26-in. barrel to weigh about 8 pounds complete. I wouldn’t want anything better!


(Outdoor Life, Oct 1966)