choices

I’ve been shooting my VTR a lot, but I’m also looking to add another semi-automatic rifle to my collection. Right now, I have a few Garands and an AR (which I shoot almost exclusively for CMP-style matches) so I’m thinking of getting something smaller. Some of the options I’ve considered so far are:

• M1 Carbine — Since I already have Garands and a 1903, it would be nice to add an M1 Carbine to my collection. I do like old mil-surp rifles; it’s kind of like adopting a janky-ass abandoned kitten and nurturing it. On the other hand, a 60 year old M1 isn’t going to be as accurate, and I wouldn’t be able to customize it without destroying its historic value. I’m also leery of adding yet another caliber; especially one which is also essentially only used by one particular gun.
• AR-based carbine — I have a spare lower and a U-15 stock, so I could just get an upper and a parts kit and have another rifle without spending too much money. On the other hand, I’m actually not a huge fan of the AR action. My existing AR is accurate and works reliably, but also requires a lot of maintenance. For every hour I spend shooting it, I probably spend about an hour cleaning it.
• Ruger Mini-14 — I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Mini-14. I’ve never shot one, but I hear it handles well and is super reliable, even if not terribly accurate. It also shoots .223 like 2 of my other guns, so I won’t have to add yet another caliber, and unlike the AR, I can have a detachable magazine and still be California legal. I guess the turn-off for me here is accuracy. You can get accurized Mini-14s but they cost probably twice what an accurate AR would cost me.
• Kel-tec SU-16 — Haven’t shot one, but I’m generally sort of meh about these rifles. The pros are similar to the Mini-14, except I haven’t come across very many people praising the SU-16 the way I’ve heard people praise the Mini-14.

The top contenders right now are either a accurized Mini-14, or an AR. If I go the AR route, I’m thinking of possibly getting a gas-piston upper (by POF or Bushmaster) which will eliminate the high maintenance cost (which is the side-effect of the direct impingement action on standard uppers), though they tend to be more expensive.

Ultimately, my next big purchase is going to be reloading equipment, so I’ll be mulling over these choices for quite some time to come. Not to mention the custom long-range rifle I’m thinking of building, but that’s a whole other post.