Get a middy, for max reliability.
As for "dot-esque" sights, the Leupold Prismatic 1x14 and the Trijicon RMR (no-battery FO version) are just about the pigs' feces in 1x optics as far as I am concerned. No battery reliance. Meprolight and I think Zeiss also have no-reliance ESDs. Either that or a 1-4 with a true 1x, like the Trijicon 1-4x24, 30mm tube. But it has rather poor eye relief. Aimpoints & Eotechs are great, but ya gotta turn them on or leave them on, and mess with batteries.
The Leupold Prismatic 1x14 does NOT have the unlimited eye relief of a true ESD (dot sight) - that's the tradeoff - but it DOES have pretty generous eye relief range.
Beyond that, sounds like you know what you want, and good choices.
You'll have to figure out handguards, grips, buttstock and such, of course.... when in doubt, "think lightweight".
I think that flip-up irons (a BUIS) are plenty sturdy *enough*, even if not quite *as* sturdy as fixed. You're not gonna knock them out of calibration, at least as far as would make a practical difference at any actual "fighting distance".
Everyone and their grandma's dog are now making these abominations - these 'quasi-ARs'. They're NOT ARs, which by definition, use direct impingement systems. But I suppose they ARE a bit more reliable if you must (for some reason) go a couple thousand rounds without cleaning.
As for "dot-esque" sights, the Leupold Prismatic 1x14 and the Trijicon RMR (no-battery FO version) are just about the pigs' feces in 1x optics as far as I am concerned. No battery reliance. Meprolight and I think Zeiss also have no-reliance ESDs. Either that or a 1-4 with a true 1x, like the Trijicon 1-4x24, 30mm tube. But it has rather poor eye relief. Aimpoints & Eotechs are great, but ya gotta turn them on or leave them on, and mess with batteries.
The Leupold Prismatic 1x14 does NOT have the unlimited eye relief of a true ESD (dot sight) - that's the tradeoff - but it DOES have pretty generous eye relief range.
Beyond that, sounds like you know what you want, and good choices.
You'll have to figure out handguards, grips, buttstock and such, of course.... when in doubt, "think lightweight".
I think that flip-up irons (a BUIS) are plenty sturdy *enough*, even if not quite *as* sturdy as fixed. You're not gonna knock them out of calibration, at least as far as would make a practical difference at any actual "fighting distance".
and I just noticed does alexander arms even make a gas piston upper in 556
Everyone and their grandma's dog are now making these abominations - these 'quasi-ARs'. They're NOT ARs, which by definition, use direct impingement systems. But I suppose they ARE a bit more reliable if you must (for some reason) go a couple thousand rounds without cleaning.