Well first off, before you even get your hopes up check out the laws in CA. I dont really remember them too well but they arent good thats for sure. Cali legal guns are pretty neutered (sp?)
But for conversations sake- Have you been over to AR15_com? There is a ton of info over there. You have to install a BS filter because a lot of it is pretty biased but that site is THE resource for the AR.
BUIS is Back Up Iron Sight. Since Many of the AR nowadays come with just flat rails every where (like the M6A2) you need to provide your own sights. Magpul, Troy, M.I, GGG, La Rue, and LMT are some good ones. Or you could just go straight optic which is how I have my LWRC now at the moment (just an ACOG). While were on the topic of sights, Ill give you a quick primer on "co-witness" which is when you can see your iron sights through your optic. Either full co witness in the middle or the lower 1/3 of the optic is most popular. Just something to keep in mind when looking at the specific rail on the upper.
As for POF vs LWRC. The rail is way to bulky for me. In general full railed gun are very much heavier so the POF is just too much IMO, I just didnt like it. Personal preference aside I dont think you can go wrong with either.
If you want to shoot 6.8 or any other caliber youll need a new upper and mags to do so reliably. A good one to look at right now is S&W's 5.45x39 upper since that ammo is so damn cheap right now. Lowers, as long as they are to spec I dont feel one is better than any other. Just go fo rthe cheapest from a reputable brand, no fly by night back of Shotgun News adds for $50 or crap like that. I have a CMMG and an AERO Precision, I prefer the latter just because the markings are a little different. The 2 stage trigger is usually in some type of "match" variant and IMO a waste. I go for more of a field grade gun so I just stick with the trigger that comes in the lower parts kit (LPK).
As for the rage these days, the Piston vs DI question. How much are you going to be shooting? The piston guys like to say that they can take the bolt out after shooting XX number of rounds and it cool to the touch, thats fine but now the operating group (ie piston) is hot as hell and guess what? Its right where you hold the forearm and in front of your optic (mirage anyone?). In addition, and as you somewhat alluded to is the bunch of new moving parts that may break and good luck getting new ones! POF does offer replacement op group parts but theyre a couple hundred bucks. LWRC does not or did not when I got mine. A DI AR has a gas tube, and as long as you have a spare bolt youre gtg. Are you the type to shoot guns and not clean them at all? Ive shot AR's all day in salt spray in the middle of the ocean and had not one failure. Ditto for being in the desert up in Camp Pendleton. Now if youre going to be blasting thousands of rounds out per week in desert sandstorms and not doing any maintenance you may have a problem. But who does this? I think the regular AR is very nicely balanced, but find the piston to be front heavy. And to be honest the AR is pretty damn simple (remember KISS) and that appeals to me.
Also have you heard of carrier tilt? Real quick here. Some say its an issue(DI guys) some say its not(piston guys). All I know is that on my LWRC I have marks on the bottom of the receiver extension from the carrier rubbing on it. I dont like stuff like that. On the DI (direct impingment) AR the gases come straight back into the carrier key, but with the piston the op rod pushes back on a solid carrier key, and it is said that due to the inherent design of the AR the carrier has no support so it is knocked of kilter and contacts the receiver extension. Ive seen some pretty banged up pics myself. It probably isnt enough to cause any real damage, even over long term automatic fire but it doesnt give me a fuzzy.
Now Im not trying to talk you out of buying what you want, just giving you an un-biased opinion from someone who has both. If you went with a standard AR you could have a top tier complete gun (like say a Colt LE 6920) for around what youd pay for one of those uppers out the door and youd never know the difference.
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