Compactness, accuracy and reliability. I did some research online. Lots of info out there. He did suggest that if a semiautomatic action was "sufficiently compact and otherwise acceptable, it should be considered".

I don't think you will be disappointed with a Ruger Scout. They now come in left hand. I would get the stainless and spray it down with Sandstrom 28A and make it black. They can also be rebarreled where a lot of the new "budget" rifles are disposable once the barrel goes out.

If you care for your barrel properly there is no reason it won't hold up for over 10,000 rounds in 7.62.

Same cannot be said for 5.56. I was a Small Arms Test Director at Aberdeen Proving Ground and I was the Test Director on the M16A1E1 (adopted as M16A2) by USMC/Army etc. With US ammo groups started to open up at 3600 rounds and were right at rejection at 4800. Rejection is anything over 7.2" at 100 yards and at 4800 we had 7". At 6000 rounds I stopped the test.

We retested same scenario with same ammo and different ammo and finally we got some SS109 headstamped FNB and the barrels were still in spec at 12,000 rounds. Same bullet in both but different propellant in FN ammo.

Last I heard the original M24 Sniper Rifles were still shooting acceptance at Benning with 15,000 to 17,000 rounds on them

The best time to clean it is immediately after shooting while the barrel is still warm and the propellant residue is soft. Within hours the residue (carbon) becomes hard and if you make a habit of shooting a cold dirty barrel you just embed the carbon in follow on bullets that does wear number on the front end of barrel.

When the front end opens up your dispersion will as well. It will look just fine but won't shoot well.