None of them are restricted.
The bayonet on the M44 is removable. Finding an M38 is harder than finding an M44. Also, most M38s you find will have seen combat in WWII, most M44s will not, so the level of wear and tear is different.
Keep in mind, the "carbines" are hardly carbines. They're the length of a stock C7A1 (aka 1 metre long). If you feel like challenging yourself when it comes to long range precision, get a 91/30 and shoot out to 1000 yards, otherwise stick with a carbine.
Also, get a recoil pad of some sort. It will let you put out more than 30 rounds without leaving a large bruise.
/edit also, a PU scope kit is generally 250+ USD.
I'm of two minds on that subject aswell. If you're going to shell out 300-400 $ on a scope to convert a non-sniper MN, you're not keeping the rifle "original". If you're not keeping the rifle in its original shape, why spend $300-400 on top of the price of the rifle to get an inferior deer/plinker rifle? Pop an ATI stock on it, get an ATI gunsmith scope mount, and get a proper bent bolt job done. Then you have yourself a $300 (+ cost of a scope, which could be as little as $30) deer/plinker with a very rugged action and the flexibility of having a scope rail instead of a proprietary mount.
If you want an original sniper for collecting purposes, take the time to research the scopes/mounts used and hunt for an ex-sniper and convert it back to its original form. If you find a MN Sniper for sale with mount/scope it's more than likely a reproduction, in which case refer to the above paragraph
