Speaking of the internal-mag clip-fed semi auto ideas like the Mini M1 Garand in .300Blk/5.56/whatever, I was thinking about it and, while the designs are definitely different, isn't the SKS effectively the same concept? 10 rounds, fixed mag, charged by clips (but with the capability to top off easily or load singles), no pistol grip, and even in New Yorkistan they are legal if the bayonet is removed and the lug for the bayonet is ground off (from what I've been told by NYers). Even in the latest AWB proposals, it did not include SKSs that still had the fixed 10 round mag and traditional wood stock. And the ammo is cheap to boot, with domestic sources of 7.62x39 being viable although less cheap. In terms of performance, 7.62x39 is similar to a supersonic 125gr .300BLK. DocGKR has a handful of vetted loads that perform very well listed somewhere on this site I believe.
I wonder how the reliability of a new-condition rearsenalled Russian SKS would be compared to, say, a Colt LE6920 or quality AK variant. Or in other words, how it would hold up to a weekend carbine class which tend to show what guns will poop the bed and what will work. I also wonder how it would compare to an M1 Garand in that regard.