• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Loadout Room

The Loadout Room

Professional Gear Reviews

Hardcore Gear and Adventure

Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • H&K MP-5 Sub-Machinegun: Famous but not FriendlyH&K MP-5 Sub-Machinegun: Famous but not Friendly
        • Glock-17_1A Former Delta Force Operator’s Glock 17 Setup
        • 300-blackout-used-for-home-defense-ar-15-pistol-fThe Home Defense AR-15 – Setting Up for Success
        • lossy-page1-1280px-Da_Nang_Vietnam…._Sergeant_Robert_E._Fears_clears_an_area_using_his_flamethrower._-_NARA_-_532491.tifThe Brutal Reality of the Flamethrower and the Men Who Carried It
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • Winter-AdventureGet Ready for Winter Fun: The Ski Gear Guide
        • RIP-MVehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M
        • Midland radioOverland Essential | Midland Radio MXT275 | GXT1000
        • ppGrab your gear and go | Here’s everything you’d need to build an adventure go bag
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • Georgia-Army-National-GuardHow to Use Military Mindset While Preparing for a Race
        • jelmer-assink-gzeTjGu3b_k-unsplashFitness Gear Standard Weight Bench: A Budget Gym Equipment Review
        • alexander-andrews-BX4Q0gojWAs-unsplashEDC 101: What EDC Means and 4 EDC Gear to Have
        • 275067423_3229648577268120_1392851511843662528_nFit or Flop?: A Review of the WOOBIES Men’s Mod-1 Canvas Shoe
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Buying Guides
  • Shop
Firearms

Strike’s Arch-El – The Charging Handle From Hell

February 25, 2018 by Travis Pike Leave a Comment

A while back I had an AR that identified as a hunting rifle and needed an optic and needed a mount. Warne provided a mount, and Nikon provided the optic. After a bit of shooting a scope equipped AR 15 I was getting really sick of that teeny tiny mil spec charging handle. With the AR market being as large as it is I knew I had plenty of options. There was the BCM Gunfighter or the Badger Ordnance model was nice, but I was drawn to the Strike Industries ARCH-EL. ARCH-EL stands for AR Charging Handle – Extended Latch. It sounds simple, and it is. Its rocking and rolling on my hunting AR. The season may be over now, but why not prep for next year?

The Ins and Outs of the Strike Industries ARCH-EL

The ARCH-EL is one massive charging handle. It’s not ambidextrous, and I personally didn’t want an ambi charging handle. I’m right handed so the latch is on the left-hand side. A normal mil-spec charging handle’s small latch is a real pain in the ass to use if you are using a higher powered scope. The Extended latch sticks out about half an inch further than a standard charging handle. The extended latch is half an inch wide when measured from top to bottom. It’s textured aggressively and curved to fit the hand.

In Use

Today we had a blast at the range, and Strike Industries was part of it. The ARCH-EL participated in my TorkMag 50 round magazine testing. The mag worked so I didn’t get to work any malfunction drills. I did, however, get lots of time to rack the gun when reviewing the Nikon Pro Staff 5 (It’s coming soon I promise.) I used a 5 round magazine so I was reloading often. The ARCH-EL is easy to grip and rip. Its wide handle makes it easy to use with modern reloading techniques. I generally prefer a simple right-handed charge and it works well for that. It’s also easy to use a bladed technique or an underhanded charge.

Most importantly, it completely clears my ProStaff 5 and allows me to have an uninterrupted charge. If something was to go wrong and I needed to clear a malfunction I wouldn’t have any issues doing so, and doing so quickly. The ARCH-EL offers me a nice bit of leverage for racking the gun. The extra leverage means less force needed which is nice when you’re shooting under pressure.

The ARCH-EL is made entirely from aluminum, but it doesn’t bend or twist in use. The use of aluminum instead of steel means there is less wear and tear on the upper receiver than a steel charging handle. There are no exposed springs and the extended latch glides rearward as the handle is pulled.One of the little things I really loved was how easy it is to do a press check. That extra leverage translates into extra control for these little tasks.

Strike Back

The Strike Industries ARCH-EL is an excellent charging handle, and the best part is that its one of the most affordable extended latches on the market. You can also get the ARCH-EL anodized in a variety of different colors, including FDE, red, and blue. The ARCH-EL is an outstanding upgrade to any AR 15 rifle. I will say from experience it’s perfect if you are running an optic. Even without an optic the ARCH-EL is easy to use, fast to manipulate, and its strong as hell.

 

Share This

About the Author

Travis Pike Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record setting 11 months at sea. He’s trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines and the Afghan National Army. He serves as an NRA certified pistol instructor and teaches concealed carry classes.

See All Travis Pike Articles

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

Find Us on Facebook

The Loadout Room

Recent Comments

  • Kurt Kusenko on Sig Sauer Romeo 7: Hands On Review
  • interloper on 5 Best Glocks for Concealed Carry
  • KhaleesiJohanna on The 6 Best Backpack Coolers for Your Next Outdoor Adventure

Latest From SOFREP

The Pic of the Day

The Pic of the Day: USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Arrives in Piraeus, Greece

Foreign Policy

Biden Approves $10B HIMARS Deal with Poland

Military History

The Untold Story of Europe’s Forgotten Heroes in WWII

The Pic of the Day

The Pic of the Day: Task Force Spartan, Israel Defense Forces Team Up for Exercise Juniper Oak 2023

© Copyright 2023 SOFREP Media Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers
 

Loading Comments...