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Notes -
The problem with the Mini-14 is mostly that it's a design from the 1930s. It's the best the 1930s had to offer, mind you, but the design still hails from that period. The thing's just a more refined bolt-action conversion.
The AR-15 is the best the 1960s had to offer, and in some ways it does pretty clearly show its age (magazines were a compromise from the start for a magwell that wasn't made with 30-rounders in mind, the bolt's too small, the design doesn't lend itself to some important modern mass-manufacturing techniques... yet is very CNC-compatible, so you can make the entire gun on a single machine, which is part of why everyone and their dog makes one).
I'm kind of unfairly hard on this gun because it's basically a heavy pistol on a stick, and most PCCs being just Sten guns in a different form factor. If it's all you can buy (and this is true of the Mini-14 as well) it's not necessarily overpriced, since Ruger knows that, and it's what the market will bear... but that thing can't cost more than a couple hundred to make. And yeah, being able to get 15 round mags for it makes it a bit better.
It is if you're looking at 150-dollar PSA complete lowers, but you're also buying a 100-dollar unique bolt carrier with the lower set (which you'd have to replace in whatever upper you buy, unless it's bufferless in which case it doesn't matter).
But any upper, even the PSA ones, would be fine for this. Even better is if you can get the ones without charging handle or bolt carrier, since you can buy the bolt separately and you'll want an upgraded charging handle anyway, and the 350 bucks it'd cost will go a bit further.
I've been doing some more thinking. I took the Mini-14 out of the running, and put the Ruger PCC in, ditching the idea that it could be a hog gun, too. But does a full-length "rifle" even make sense in 9mm? It has more recoil than .223 and it's a lot worse ballistically, otherwise.
Otherwise, the Sig MCX Regulator is on sale at PSA for $1300, though that's still twice as much as the PCC. What's your input on that? Any better than a Fightlite?
One more thing I'm considering is a lever-action, but it seems like it would be strictly worse than a lot of options simply for not being semi-auto. I've already got a pump shotgun, anyway.
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With the Mini-14 being the best of 1930s tech and the AR15 being the best of 1960s tech, what equivalent rifle should I be looking at for the best of post-2000 tech?
For an individual rifleman, the Beretta ARX-160 (ARX-100).
All plastic, toolless disassembly, modern ergonomics (firing hand can close or lock bolt back without releasing grip), charging handle and ejection live on whichever side you please without disassembly (let alone buying new parts), pencil barrel (you don't need anything else), and is lighter than every other AR-18-derived rifle on the market (6 3/4 pounds- not quite as light as an M16A1 or M4, but it comes pretty close).
Beretta passed the savings on to the US consumer but few bought them even then. There are a few for under 2K on Gunbroker. The only problem with them is that spending 2000 dollars on an AR-15 can buy you a plastic and carbon fiber rifle that weighs as much with an optic as the ARX does, and they also won't take specifically Gen 3 Pmags.
None of the extruded-aluminum guns qualify as "best rifle". The Bren 2 is "best light support weapon", though, because with the extra weight comes greater sustained fire capability (in a way that would damage an ARX or M16). The SCAR is significantly better than the Bren 2 in the weight department, but it also breaks optics, has stupid warranty policies, has/had a reciprocating charging handle, and is absurdly overpriced whereas the Bren 2 has none of those problems.
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A while back, I would have said there wasn't one; small arms technology arguably peaked at the ar-15. In terms of form factor and general operation, I'd say that's still roughly the correct answer. Lately though, we're seeing more and more experiments with extremely high chamber-pressure cartridges and special bullet constructions that allow significant increases in performance, particularly against hard armor. I'm skeptical whether that increase is significant enough to represent the sort of improvement one sees between the 30s and 60s, but if you're looking for edge in terms of weapons, that'd probably be your best bet.
More generally, drones are legitimately revolutionary.
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