looking for semi auto suggestions 400$ or under

i have an sks yugo and an m1a, so those 2 semi's are out , laying the ground floor here is all.(7.62x39, 308)

ive recently been working on my project mosin nagant(7.62x54r), and now im getting close to finishing the project and im looking for my next rifle to get, shoot, and then trick out to desired specs.

Now ive been shootings since age 5, i have roughly 8 rifles at my disposal, and 7 pistols (just off the top , may be more or less ), and i live in California(and, yes it sucks here)

my main application when shooting my rifles is for distance, but i have been thinking that i need a close combat rifle, and a bolt action is great for distance and accuracy, but in home defense its at a disadvantage. so im thinking a semi auto logically. Something roughly in the 308 range or lower, i need a bullet with penetration and knock down force mainly as this will be specific for defense, but i dont want it going through a wall and hitting someone next door, so a lower than 308 bullet should suffice.

Looking at something i can modify easily, and be mobile and durable. tactical stuff can come in later after ive got the weapon and master its iron sights (if any) i will then produce an overview of the design i need and develop the rifle as i go, towards the combat goal.

so any suggestions would be nice, ive looked into saigas and few other semis but anything i haven't heard of would be interesting

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Owner of the 91/30 mosin nagant: Black Lightning

"if zombies, i have gone to get big guns, be back soon!"

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