Thanks, Jim. I think I'm going with a new barrel.
Doug,
Guns are an individual thing, to be sure, and I'd be hard pressed to explain some of the guns people are chasing out there. Here's my thought process, FWIW:
I wanted a short, light, fast-handling bolt-action rifle. Short to me means short-action and short barrel length. Short-action choices are limited, at least the inexpensive ones are (priced a Rem Model 7 lately? Ouch!) Short-action Mauser actions are still plentiful, and reasonably cheap. Short-action Mauser really means 93/95/94/96. 94/96 (Swede) actions are the best, and are priced accordingly. In addition, while there are some short-action Mausers already chambered in .308 (7.62x51 for the purists), informed sources (Kuhnhausen) emphatically state that a 93-96 Mauser action chambered in a high-intensity cartridge (like the 7.62x51) is asking for trouble.
So, I think I have my action, so now what caliber? Short-action length, and "low-intensity." My personal requirements are cheap, and readily available at most "Mart-type" stores, so I can always get more, even in Sam Drucker's store in Hooterville. 5.56mm is tempting. 6.5mmx55 is great, but fails the "available anywhere" one, and damn-near fails the "cheap" one. Same with 7x57mm. Plus, I gotta find a barrel for this at a reasonable price, otherwise I'd just go buy a Remington Model 7 or CZ-527. Thanks to the FSU (former Soviet Union), 7.26x39 is everywhere. It's cheap, and there are decent factory loadings, too. Does it hit as hard as 7.62x51? Nope. But it hits pretty hard out to 200 yards or so. And it will never be 6mm PPC, but I think 2 MOA out of a new barrel is pretty reasonable. LER scope in a scout-mount, and it goes behind the seat of the truck, or the camper, or pretty much anywhere I want it.
Well, what about an SKS? Never liked them, for a lot of (very subjective) reasons. They have never shouldered well for me, and I just don't like the looks. OK, I know, you're not supposed to care what they look like, only how they shoot, but I do. And, many will castigate me for this, but I want this gun to be "PC" in any crowd. (I'm not bailing out here, I have my BM 16" CAR that I shoot a lot, and it is most definitely non-PC.) What is more "invisible" that a short bolt-gun.
So, that's my thinking. Many will disagree, as they have different needs, but that's what makes it a sport.
Scott
[This message has been edited by ScottS (edited October 07, 2000).]