This is the place for discussion about firearms and related topics.
No fedposting. Be careful not to dox yourself. Talking about and owning guns obviously isn't illegal, but that doesn't mean some chud won't try to use information against you.
I highly recommend using a throwaway when asking for or giving advice that may include identifying information. Using Tor doesn't hurt.
Better to have an AR-15 rifle build in 223, maybe with a red dot + flip down magnifier (versatile midrange for community defense, hunting, etc)
or an AR-15 pistol AND something like an AR-10/bolty/battle rifle in a bigger caliber?
IMO better to start with an AR-15 that's like 14.5" (pistol or SBR+stamp) or 16" (rifle). Even barrels as short as 12.5" can be effective at 200+ yards under the right conditions, and an 18"+ barrel can be pretty unwieldy getting out of cars and going around corners and such.
Then later if you feel like it or have a use case for it (hunting, etc) you can get a bolt action, or shell out for a battle rifle type gun. But outside of specific use cases I think most people would be content with a gun that's easy to maneuver with but still effective at range.
Hopefully other people can chime in if they have different opinions.