CTP will be exhibiting at the BSS 2022 at the NEC Birmingham. This is an ideal opportunity to meet our team and discuss your training requirements prior to making a decision to book a course with us. We will publish our stand location as soon as the organisers have finalised the exhibition layout.

Shooting on the move engaging multiple targets, with the STI 2011 Open Class Competition Pistol, optics fitted

Drawing from a competition holster rig and engaging the target with an optics fitted STI 2011 that has been heavily customised here in the CZ Republic for IPSC Competition shooting.

Just a few photos to get your pulses racing. The pistol featured is the race gun of one the competition shooters that trains with us, here in the CZ Republic. It is an STI 2011, that has been breathed on by one of our Czech gunsmiths. The detail work is amazing and just shows the quality of gunsmithing available here. 

Two of the top end 9mm PCC (pistol calibre carbines) are SIG MPX and DAVINCI. In fairness the JP gmr15 also belongs in that mix. Base price is about £2k for the Sig and £2.7k for the DAVINCI, plus stock upgrades and red dots etc. They are basically IPSC and Steel Challenge game guns. We can have semi-auto anything in Czech but the U.K. I guess you are looking at a Marlin under lever or 22lr.

9mm PCC sounds a good idea - cheap ammunition and steel target friendly however most 9mm carbines are still direct blowback and hamstrung by heavy bolts (CMMG rotating bolt, H & K MP5 roller locking, KRISS Vector and a few others spring to mind as exceptions). But to get the same or less recoil than a bog standard £800 AR15 in 223, you are going to spend a lot of money. Flat and fast shooting are all that matters for IPSC games and it does make a big difference.

SIG MPX (still my favourite) does it by a gas piston arrangement- and I think this is an excellent design and very versatile- one of my barrels is 6.5” plus suppressor, another 16” with compensator the same system works well with either.

DAVINCI does it by direct blowback a magnetic buffer and short stroking the action. The rifle is lighter than the SIG and has a 2” shorter barrel so is more manoeuvrable. It still is not as soft shooting as the SIG but the DAVINCI side charging makes it about a second faster to load with a table top start. DAVINCI make the upper and lower receiver in house. I think the barrel is sourced from JP? All top quality components anyway.

Time to accessorise the UK Tactical Nexus SF Ballistic Helmet. As I mentioned in part 1 of this review the SRS rails on either side of the helmet enable the fitment of a large number of helmet mounted pieces of kit. You should always carefully consider adding anything to a helmet as this translates to extra weight which in turn increases the risk of neck injuries. So If you don't need it leave it off, your neck will thank you. That being said the mounting of external ear defenders is a zero net weight addition if you are going to be wearing them in any case.

I currently run 3M PELTOR Sport Tac active ear defenders a close relative of one of the Military standard communication compatible COMTAC ear defenders also manufactured by PELTOR. They produce an ARC rail adaptor kit for the COMTAC, this kit is also compatible with the Sport Tac, as the ear cup mounts are identical on both models. Other manufacturers also produce ARC rail mounts for their ear defence products, but I would stay away from the cheap Chinese clone models as I have seen reports that the build and operation are not up to the OEM kit. A quick check of the internet and I located a supplier in the UK at www.best4systems.co.uk, The adaptors are listed as "3M PELTOR OPS CORE HELMET ADAPTOR for XPI series" the PELTOR kit number is not shown but is P3ADG-F SV/2 (at £32.50 + VAT). As its been a while since I fitted new ear cup pads I also ordered the Hygiene kit, which for my Sport Tac's is kit number HY21 (at £6.00 + VAT).

The kits arrived the next day, so good customer service. I opted to fit the adaptors to the helmet before mounting the ear cups. This took a few minutes as the dove tails on the SRS rails and the adaptors were a tight fit, but with the use of a little bit of detergent as a lubricant and care aligning the adaptors they were successfully mounted. The attached photos show the correct orientation of the adaptor backing plate when fitted. The adaptors are ambidextrous in that they fit either side rail, however if you are running a boom microphone mount the adaptor with the longer boom mount leg on your weak side. As I shoot right handed this would be my left side, as this will avoid interference with your cheek weld when mounting a rifle to shoot.

To disassemble the Sport Tac's (COMTAC's) turn the ear cups 90 degrees and gently pull the clips out from the oval mounting posts on the ear cups. The connecting cable between the ear cups is easily removed by unfastening the rubber head band cover that contains the cable on the head band. Some models may have a leather head band cover, which may require careful cutting to release the cable.

Before fitting the ear cups I changed out the old ear pads and foam. On comparing the old and new pads considerable compression was visible on the old, emphasising the importance of swapping them out on a regular basis to maintain the seal effectiveness.

Fitting of the ear cups to the adaptors is the reverse of removal, I would recommend running the connecting cable before fitting. I tried externally under the helmet cover, before settling on running it internally under the head pads at the rear of the helmet as this gave a cleaner fit without the risk of the cable snagging when moving.

On trial fitting the helmet I got lucky with the rail location of the helmet ear cup adaptor mounts as they were exactly where I needed them. The adaptors have 2 positions, UP and DOWN, with a very positive lock between each (Note it is also possible to rotate the cup mounts forward and back if not required for use). In the UP position the ear cups are just clear of the ear and surrounding skin allowing air to circulate and normal conversation if resting in a hearing safe area. If you are running communications through your ear defenders the position of the cup would still allow clear coms. In the DOWN position the ear cups are held nice and snuggly against your head, providing a good seal but without being overly tight. While the comfort fit of using ear defenders with a head band under the NEXUS MACH III SF helmet is good, and a vast improvement to my previous duty PASGT Ballistic Helmet. The fitting of the Helmet adaptors takes the comfort rating to the next level up, and with the ability to cool the ears by lifting the cups to the UP position makes this accessory a must have for prolonged operational work.

The only down side to this Helmet comfort level is that you have a slight reduction in ballistic coverage when compared to the low and mid profile cut helmets such as the PASGT, MICH I, II and MACH I, II. This will come down to a personal choice when weighing risk against the benefits of increased situational awareness, comfort, and ease of use. Personally I perform to a much higher level when comfortable during a prolonged shoot or operation. Combined with the other benefits listed above this more than compensates for the slight reduction in ballistic coverage of the high cut NEXUS MACH III helmet.

The Ballistic protection available to Military, Police, and PMC operators has changed dramatically over the last 30 + years, driven by operational requirements and advances in Materials technology. If you are a serving Military/Police operator, you will (hopefully) be provided with a personal issue Ballistic Helmet suitable for your role. The PMC operator is in a different position however, if they are lucky suitable kit will be supplied, but this is not a given. So the purchase of personal kit, with a known service / maintenance  history is a sensible option. If Budget is no object a Gentex OPS CORE FAST Helmet or one of its derivatives manufactured from the latest wonder material UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene) may be the preferred choice, however at a retail price of $1,860.60 this is probably well beyond the means of most.

After many hours on the internet researching the various options I settled on the NEXUS MACH (Military Advanced Combat Helmet) III SF, olive green, high Cut ballistic Helmet, to accommodate a coms fit. Supplied by UK Tactical and manufactured in the UK by NEXUS defence a supplier to the MOD. This helmet retails at £299.95 and was purchased with the Warrior Assault Systems helmet cover specific for this helmet, the helmet cover retails at £34.94 separately or as a helmet/cover package at £329.95. The helmet is manufactured from a ballistic aramid fibre bound in a thermoplastic resin matrix.

So what do you get for your money?

1. 

The ballistic protection offered by the helmet is rated at NIJ IIIA standard and will defeat 9mm - .357 and 44 Magnum rounds under NIJ lab test conditions and also achieves a V50 fragmentation rating up to 750 m/s; as tested with 1.1g, 22 Calibre, 17 grain Fragment. Simulated Projectile, according to STANAG 2920 and US MIL STD 662F. The UK Tactical website provides pdf copies of the laboratory test results for a full break down of the helmets rating. So please consult these to ensure that the helmet specification meets your needs if purchasing.

2. 

The Helmet is offered in 2 sizes Large 56-64 cm & Medium 54-59 cm coming in at 1.3Kg and 1.2kg respectively. My head size is 57cm so I opted for size Large to give me a little bit more room when fitting the helmet.

3. 

The helmet mounting system provided is the top of the line Team Wendy BOA four point harness which offers easy one handed adjustment on each strap as well as a very effective all round helmet fit with the BOA dial at the rear of the helmet which stabilises the helmet on the head very nicely. The internal surface of the helmet is fitted with 7 soft touch foam pads held in place with hook and loop discs, allowing easy replacement. (Different thickness/replacement pad kits are available from UK Tactical to further fine adjust the helmet fit priced at £24.95).

4. 

The helmet currently comes pre-fitted with exterior Velcro for the attachment of accessories such as IR illuminators and the W.A.S. Helmet cover. A retro fit velcro kit priced at £19.96 is available for previous helmet models which did not have this feature.

5. 

The helmet comes pre fitted with a standard NVG mount on the front of the helmet as well as the low profile Side Rail System (ARC) mounts on either side of the helmet for the attachment of goggle straps, hearing protection, tactical lights, IR lights & Video cameras. The system is rated as being snag free for static line, HALO and HAHO jumps by the supplier.

6. 

Helmet cover option:- I opted to purchase a helmet cover in Multi-cam, mainly to protect the helmet from surface damage. But it also allows the routing of NVG/coms cables as well as the mounting of other helmet accessories which attach with velcro. Cover size is specific to the helmet and is easily attached with the helmet /cover velcro.

Delivery by normal land post is included free in the purchase price, but I opted for courier delivery. UK tactical use DPD which is one of the best Courier delivery services available as they always deliver in the 1 hour time slot they notify in advance, and this delivery was no different. The helmet was well packed in several layers of foam and bubble wrap and no damage was found on unpacking. I would always recommend helmets be stored in padded helmet bags when not in use as non-obvious structural damage to the helmet can be caused when accidently dropped on hard surfaces. fitting of the Helmet cover only took a few minutes of adjustment to mount correctly.

I use external active ear defenders when shooting and the helmet easily accommodates this hearing protection without inflicting the almost obligatory helmet head squeeze that my duty PASGT ballistic helmet inflicted when used with the Peltor Comtac AED's during protracted Firearms Operations, comfort at last! I will however be mounting the ear cups to the helmet semi permanently using Peltor Helmet ARC rail accessory mounts in the near future.

Summary

Can you purchase a cheaper helmet?

Yes you can, but it will be to a lower specification. When you include all the built in features such as SRS rails, NVG mount, Team Wendy Harness, MACH III profile, weight v ballistic protection, helmet fit. The Price point for the NEXUS MACH III helmet is extremely competitive and represents excellent value for money and should be seriously considered by operators looking for a personal ballistic helmet for high threat environments.

UK Tactical are on the web at www.uktactical.com and did not sponsor this product review.