Kel-Tec has some surprisingly good quality pistols for the money, I have a P-40 and know a dozen or more who have various other KT pistols. I have no experience with their long guns and will reserve comment until I hear something about them. There is a difference in the design and manufacture of long guns and handguns so the results of the one is not always a good indicator of the performance of other type. For the same price and performance I think it may be a little tough to find a gun though Ruger makes a fairly inexpensive carbine in 9mm and 40 cal which uses their magazines. Their Mini-14 and Mini-30 rifles aren't too expensive and are fairly reliable to0. Beretta has a bullpup carbine out that is kind of nice. It comes in 9mm, 40, and 45 ACP. I've seen them a little over $500 at several Gander Mountain stores. Marlin had a 9mm and 45ACP carbine out for a while, I've had one of each and shot the 9mm to the point of wearing it out. They were pretty dependable and inexpensive at the time. The 9mm used S&W 59 series mags while the 45 used 1911 mags if I remember right. Then there is the old reliable M-1 carbine. The GI models are the best in my mind, I have one that was made by Winchester. They also come at a premium price now days. The late Universal and Iver Johnson models are to be avoided as they are trouble prone and not to the same specs as the GIs. IMI had a couple of versions and they are of OK quality.
The SKS and AK-47 are a bit different breed of cat from a carbine chambered for a pistol round. They are much more powerful and are generally much larger in all dimensions. Their biggest plus was being cheap to shoot but that is quickly going by the wayside. Cheap Wolf ammo (when you can find it) is going for $150 per 1000 rounds and that is quite a bit more than just one year ago. The guns themselves are also getting much more expensive, Yugo SKSs are going for $150 and up with AKs going over $300. For the price of an AK I'd get a Remington 740 or 742 which would be more powerful, more accurate, and be better suited for hunting too.
