Aztec,
Those Ishapores are great, in my opinion. Where else are you going to get a rifle with a 12-round mag chambered for a NATO caliber for around $100?
It is heavy, but you can do some no-cost home chopping to make it lighter. I just removed the whole bayonet lug assembly and about eight inches of the wood near the muzzle. It cost $0, removed about a pound and a half, and now it looks more like a modern rifle. I would shorten the barrel if I could do it myself, but that's a gunsmith job at about $50.
There are Williams Gunsight rear sights for $35 that will solve your rear sight problem, but I put a scope on mine, so I just took off the whole rear sight assembly, which saved almost another pound.
So grab that $70 Ishie for sure, and have some fun with no-cost customizing.
JP
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Nehemiah 4:18 " ... and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked."