Frag Out! Magazine

Without any doubts – a helmet with a so called blarney. It looks cosmic, combat and attractively, certainly its user will distinguish from the crowd of the Ops-Core, AirFrame or Team Wendy, not mentioning common ones like MICH/ACH. In terms of its weight – well, these are aramid helmets so a TC 800 helmet weight without rails is close to the weight of the standard MICH/ACH. The unquestionable advantage of the material applied in its design is a price. MSA ARCH is comfortable in general, there is a great difference between a ACH suspensions pads and and headband plus pads. Adjusting of the headband requires remembering about the necessity to unlock a knob, but it is not done so frequently to became annoying. One should always remember to press a knob and that is all. The entire internal suspensions from the point of view of some users even better than others because of the pads toughness. A chin strap does not interfere with hearing protectors as in the case of other helmets (there it is rather irritating). Adjusting a length of the stripes and handling a bucket fastening a chin strap – without any comments. It works, is comfortable, easily accessible. The side rails are today are must. Flashlights, cameras, hearing protectors, goggles – all of that is the most comfortably mounted on the rails. In the case of the ARCH they are nearly complied with the ARC standard. Almost, because some devices cannot be assembled on the rails. However, their internal profile and locking cuttings are the same as in the ARC, but an external profile near to the rim of the shell fragment is different, more arching. This in turn, results in all accessories assembled "downwards", and adhering to the ARC rails will not fit to the ARCH helmet properly – a good example is the Princeton Tec CHARGE described in this FRAG OUT! Issue. In general, a very interesting helmet which is a cheaper but still valuable alternative for the ballistic helmets, especially for EU markets. ARCH in Use www.fragoutmag.com

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