The main issue, it seems to me, is the question of "short, light, and handy."
"Short" and "light" are quantifiable in inches and pounds/ounces. With my GSR beside other rifles in one of my racks, it's almighty close to being as short as my M1 Carbine and Mini-14. For weight, it is certainly lighter than any of my 'conventional' sporters, and much lighter than any other 7.62 NATO "service rifle".
So, we are left with what is, or is not, "handy". This is a purely subjective, personal opinion....and for MY purposes I find the GSR to be very handy indeed. Due to vision difficulties, I mounted a Redfield/Leupold 3-9X sight on the receiver...and I STILL find it short, light...and handy.
So what if it "looks like an M-14"? It also looks like the pictured #5 Mk 1 Enfield...again, so what? The Enfield pre-dates the Ruger rifle by 60 years or so, and even then it was doing much the same jobs. I'm morally certain that I saved myself from an early death or serious injury with a Jungle Carbine, and I have a very high regard for the type. A GSR in my hands would have done just as well.
Let me throw out another cliche' here....could the GSR be the semi-mythical 'Truck Rifle' that's so often discussed? The #5 Enfield served me well in that role in bear/moose country, and the detachable magazine on the GSR goes a long way toward qualifying the "short, light, handy" GSR for truck service. I've even used a full-length M-14 in the truck, and didn't find it cumbersome. It was a great comfort in a certain potentially-deadly confrontation, and I had no difficulty 'unlimbering' the beast when it was needed.
Just don't lose track of the detached magazine in the vehicle! Game laws generally forbid loaded rifles in vehicles, so the detachable mags are a rather important feature.
"Short" and "light" are quantifiable in inches and pounds/ounces. With my GSR beside other rifles in one of my racks, it's almighty close to being as short as my M1 Carbine and Mini-14. For weight, it is certainly lighter than any of my 'conventional' sporters, and much lighter than any other 7.62 NATO "service rifle".
So, we are left with what is, or is not, "handy". This is a purely subjective, personal opinion....and for MY purposes I find the GSR to be very handy indeed. Due to vision difficulties, I mounted a Redfield/Leupold 3-9X sight on the receiver...and I STILL find it short, light...and handy.
So what if it "looks like an M-14"? It also looks like the pictured #5 Mk 1 Enfield...again, so what? The Enfield pre-dates the Ruger rifle by 60 years or so, and even then it was doing much the same jobs. I'm morally certain that I saved myself from an early death or serious injury with a Jungle Carbine, and I have a very high regard for the type. A GSR in my hands would have done just as well.
Let me throw out another cliche' here....could the GSR be the semi-mythical 'Truck Rifle' that's so often discussed? The #5 Enfield served me well in that role in bear/moose country, and the detachable magazine on the GSR goes a long way toward qualifying the "short, light, handy" GSR for truck service. I've even used a full-length M-14 in the truck, and didn't find it cumbersome. It was a great comfort in a certain potentially-deadly confrontation, and I had no difficulty 'unlimbering' the beast when it was needed.
Just don't lose track of the detached magazine in the vehicle! Game laws generally forbid loaded rifles in vehicles, so the detachable mags are a rather important feature.