Spooky, perhaps it's time to change your username to "Spirit Rifleman-o"?
Now, to get down to basics. I totally agree with the superiority (in terms of simplicity, reliability, etc.) of the AK-47 action. It's the world's best, bar none. I've personally taken a guerilla's AK-47 that had been buried in mud and clay for over a year, hosed it down, kicked the bolt back, let it retract, and emptied the magazine downrange. It "shot itself clear" of the mud and grit in the barrel, and never even blinked. I was impressed, to say the least!
As to an effective defensive rifle, I'd suggest the following.
1. ComBloc rounds (7.62x39 or 5.45) are available. They're expensive, sure, but they're available. I have a healthy respect for the 7.62x39mm., having been shot twice with it, and I know from personal experience that it's a very effective stopper. (I'd rather not have gained the personal experience, but we won't go into that . . . ) As for the cost of the ammo - compared it to 5.56mm. lately? In comparative terms, it's still not bad.
2. 5.56mm. has grown scarcer and more expensive, what with military consumption, raw material prices, etc. However, there's still plenty of it out there, and decent prices can be obtained in bulk from places like Georgia Arms, etc. (I don't recommend or use steel-cased ammo in this caliber, because of reliability issues.)
3. .308/7.62x51mm. is a very, very good all-purpose round, probably still unrivalled if you can only have one caliber. Prices on milsurp are getting rather higher, and will continue to do so, because most countries no longer use this caliber for their main battle rifles, only for machine-guns. Thus, the production of this caliber around the world has decreased dramatically. Once surplus stocks are consumed, we'll be paying commercial prices, which is Not A Good Thing if you like to shoot a lot. I'd stock up on at least 10,000 rounds now, while the surplus is still available, if you plan to shoot much of this stuff over the next 20 years or so.
My personal choices are as follows. My primary defensive rifles are matched twin AK clones in 7.62x39mm. I use the ComBloc ammo for training and plinking, and I have a few boxes of premium ammo with US bullets for use if the S really does HTF. Backup mags will carry milspec ball, as I know from experience that this does a pretty decent job. It's also powerful enough (think .30-30-equivalent ballistics) that I could hunt deer with it if necessary.
My backup defensive rifles are AK clones in 5.56mm. This US ammo is more readily available than 5.45mm., and if the S really does HTF, it will still be obtainable from local sources, whereas ComBloc calibers may not fall so easily to hand. I use these rifles for a lot of training, too, because frangible "green" ammo is freely available in this caliber where lead restrictions apply. My "real deal" mags are loaded with Hornady TAP 55gr. ammo, which is very unlikely to overpenetrate, and I would consider this combo of an AK in the US caliber to be prime for urban and suburban use in the absence of decent low-penetration 7.62x39mm. ammo. I regard the 5.56mm. as inferior to the 7.62x39mm. as a "stopper" (again, based on actual personal combat experience), but I don't plan on shooting a BG once only with either caliber!
I also have a Saiga in .308. It's the 22" barrel version, as yet unconverted to full AK standard (although this is a future project when I have funds). It's there as a heavier caliber in case I need it, and I plan on hanging on to it for use in more rural environments, where longer ranges would be the norm. However, it's certainly overpowered for the urban and suburban environment, and I would not use it there. Far too much risk of overpenetration.
Hope this helps.
