IMO, doesn't really make sense from a gameplay perspective to have a minimum range. It's not like they could kill themselves with it, and they don't have the same range as Grenadier rifle grenades either.
The only real niche for Conscripts early game is capping points and acting as roadblocks by stealing any structures near points if challenged. Even then, it's all too easy to be ousted by Sturmpioneers running up to whatever building your conscripts are hiding in, and forcing you out through sheer DPS. The utility of such an approach is even more limited by a lack of effective T2 AI options. You could go T1, but then why bother with Conscripts when that gives you access to Penals?
What if Conscripts could have a upgrade (possibly global) whereby each squad gets one SMG, just to slightly boost their firepower? It wouldn't directly overlap with the existing assault package upgrade.