Need Advice from the darkside.

[nagol]

So I am looking at taking the plunge and picking up an AR.
Considering the fact that it is a restricted, I honestly see no reason to be concerned with accuracy past 100-150 yards(I can't see well at that distance anyway so an optic is a requirement.)
Odds are I will focus on a fixed 4x.
I prefer the pdw style stock, looking at a 11.5" barrel. NEA offers what I am looking for but the reviews there are all over the place.

Is there anything that people could recommend which fits my critera? Failing a suitable 223/556 I will have to consider a pcc(a horrible compromise imo).

 

[Still alive]

Get the AR of the moment before they're gone!
S&W M&P Sporter II. They are under $700 now and US made. Rumors are the new price will be higher, so don't wait! Might have some blemishes but should serve you well!
Forget NEA or Norc esp at the S&W price!
Also, get a 1-4x vs a straight 4x. Illuminated or red dot is fine. In case you want to play games later...
The S&W is a 16" rifle which IMO is a perfect length for a do it all restricted rifle.

11.5" with a 4x is sort of overkill.

 

[cr5]

Depending what you buy accuracy could be just fine past 150 yards, I used to have a PWS piston driven AR with an 11.5 inch barrel that would shoot 1 moa or better at 100 yards with 77gr match grade ammo. Accuracy is more related to the quality of the barrel and how well it likes the ammo you're feeding it than it is to it's length, my old 6.5 inch AR would shoot around 2 moa with the same ammo my 11.5 liked. Both were expensive stainless barrels and the ammo was Black Hills MK262.
If you can find a S&W for under $700 as Still alive says I would definitely buy one, for that price you can play for a while then if you like it and want to go shorter it's a fairly cheap and easy barrel swap.
16 inches is fine for pretty much any shooting discipline (I used mine for an afternoon of a CQB course last year and had no more trouble than when using my 11.5".

 

[tobin]

One advantage of the 16" barrel is that if you decide to take your AR south for shooting games, the Americans will not approve a shorter than 16" barrel on a Form 6. We use them in IDPA frequently down south.

Stick with a known brand and I think the various deals on 16" AR's by US manufacturers right now are hard to beat.

 

[mikethebike]

So I am looking at taking the plunge and picking up an AR.
Considering the fact that it is a restricted, I honestly see no reason to be concerned with accuracy past 100-150 yards(I can't see well at that distance anyway so an optic is a requirement.)
Odds are I will focus on a fixed 4x.
I prefer the pdw style stock, looking at a 11.5" barrel. NEA offers what I am looking for but the reviews there are all over the place.

Is there anything that people could recommend which fits my critera? Failing a suitable 223/556 I will have to consider a pcc(a horrible compromise imo).

On optics You are going to get a ton of suggestions, ignore them

ACOG there is no compromise, I own six of them, there is a reason why!
Im actually selling one at a good price

 

[Farmboy]

Now a days it's hard to go wrong with an AR brand (although it's still possible)

It comes down to budget and preference.

Norc will run forever but avoid it if you want to upgrade hand guards, grips and other parts. You'll sometimes need a dremel to make them fit. If buying a Norc, just leave it as is. (Yes I own Norcs)

If you want to customize it then stay with any of the big brands and find something that fit's what you're after.


As for optics consider a 1-4 or 1-6 instead of a fixed 4

 

[cr5]

On optics You are going to get a ton of suggestions, ignore them

ACOG there is no compromise, I own six of them, there is a reason why!
Im actually selling one at a good price

Lol, because only Mike's opinion really matters. I had an ACOG once, lasted about three months then sold it. Was ok but they're not for everyone.
Best advice is to go to the range and try to get people to let you look through as many different scopes as you can. They always look good in a gun shop with bright lights at 30 yards but it's once you get outside in the natural light and look 300 yards that you see which optics your eyes like and what you think will be best for you.
I've been through so many different optics I can't even remember them all, that's kinda the beauty of this sport. Buy something and if you don't like it just sell it for a small loss (unless you buy used) and then buy something new to try.
Optics are definitely a you get what you pay for type thing though, if you go cheap you won't be happy so spend as much as you can afford.

Best bang for the buck is probably the Hi-Lux CMR 1-4×24 from Wolverine, it has good glass, nice illuminated and calibrated reticle, good turrets with zero-stop and is under $500. You would have a hard time finding something variable power and better for under $800.

Good luck.