monolithic uppers

Pros:
- Very solid one piece construction with a full-length, uninterrupted top rail.
- Looks damn cool!

Cons:
- fixed length handguard does not allow you to change it ie. if you bought a carbine length upper and later upgraded to a longer barrel with a rifle gas system, you'll have exposed gas tube/block if you don't mind that look.
- specialized tool for installing barrels
- if the handguard ever gets damaged, the whole upper needs to be replaced
 
There aren't really any serious downsides to monolithic uppers. For hobbyists, it means they they cannot swap their hand guards out for favor of the month. For big organizations, the entire receiver needs to put into the garbage if any part of the receiver is damaged, but it is not like the big government cares about money to that degree anyways or damages like that happen all the time.

For GL integration that attaches directly onto the handguard, one-piece monolithic upper is needed but the HK system seems to work too.

If anyone designs a new M16 ( for the military, with no consideration of hobbyists ) from sketch with current production technology in large scale, monolithic upper will be the way and probably the only way.
 
Chiming in again since I'm at the comp now and can better type.

I have an Aero COP, I haven't had any other monos to compare it to, but so far it's win win.

It's modular, so you can set it up with any rail config you want. It can be a quad, or a slick side tube. You can also have half rails, so you can set it up like the IUR or maybe have slick sides and half of bottom for a vert grip, which is realistically all most people actually put on their rails that they need.

It's weight is good. The balance is also good.
My calculations put it in the same range at a normal upper, with a typical rail on it. Example, the weight of a carbine length COP is identical to the weight of a normal upper with a LaRue carbine rail fitted.

Once put together it's solid.

I handled an IUR before, the ergos and weight were jacked. Front heavy the the rails are right where I don't want them to be.

My COP build is a streamlined smoooth operator.

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Vltor VIS is worth a look along side the Aero COP and LMT MRP. These three have been out alot longer than the current CC IUR.
 
In addition to monolithic uppers (such as the LMT MRP/MWS, Aero COP, Vltor VIS, Colt IUR, etc.) there are also some interesting newer designs like the Mega Arms MKM and Aero Precision M4E1 and M5E1, where the handguard attaches to the upper receiver rather than the barrel net. This gives a more solid lock up in theory.
 
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