I realized after shooting the Arcus 98DA that my knowledge of Bulgaria was limited to its existence. Somewhere in eastern Europe. Which, to be fair, gives me a decent impression of Bulgaria. I picked up this Century Arms imported Arcus 98DA for all of $250, not that much more than a Hi-Point Yeet Cannon. What I got was a nice handgun with some faults, but factor in the cost. This is a lot of gun for very little money.
Bulgaria has been making Hi-Power clones since the early 1990s, starting with the Arcus 94. These are often referred to as unlicensed, but by the mid-90s, did anyone need a license to make a gun first produced in 1935? That’s like saying Wilson Combat makes unlicensed 1911 clones.
The Arcus 94 was a pretty standard single-action-only Hi-Power clone. They made a compact version of the 94 and later produced the 98DA, which certainly deviates from the standard Hi-Power by introducing a DA/SA trigger system.
The overall look and layout of the Arcus 98DA reeks of Hi-Power-ism, but there are a number of subtle changes that give the gun a distinct personality aside from the DA/SA action.
The Arcus 98DA – Beyond the Hi-Power
There are some obvious small differences. The trigger guard is more angular and less round. This likely means it won’t work with every Hi-Power holster. It has that hook for shooters who (for some reason) like to position the support hand index finger on the trigger guard. All 12 of those guys will be happy.
The dust cover is a bit straighter and less rounded. The slide serrations are wider and more aggressive.
The rear of the slide has a bit steeper angle. Right below that, we have an extended beavertail to prevent hammer bite and provide a nice, comfy hold on the pistol. The grips are rubber with finger grooves. I typically despise finger grooves, but honestly, these really aren’t bad.
The Arcus 98DA is basically a brutalist version of the Hi-Power.
The Arcus 98DA can’t use Hi-Power magazines, but the 98DAC, the compact version, can apparently use standard Hi-Power magazines. The 98DA’s magazines hold 15 rounds and the frame and magazine are about half an inch longer than the original Hi-Power magazines. The grips are also proprietary and can’t share Hi-Power grips.
In terms of parts compatibility, the answer is largely no due to frame differences. However, some dedicated folks online have done some work via custom fitting. The Bulgarians appear to have beefed up the design to ensure compatibility with +P ammunition, which likely leads to those fitment issues.
The Arcus 98DA lacks a magazine safety and magazines drop free without complaint. I prefer the lack of a magazine safety. The gun has a manual safety that can only engage when the hammer is cocked for single action. The Bulgarians also introduced a firing pin safety to make the gun drop-safe.
Handling the Arcus 98DA
There are three constants in this world: death, taxes, and heavy eastern European double-action triggers (with the exception of CZ). The Arcus 98DA has a long, heavy, gritty double-action trigger pull that just seems to keep going and going. There’s a surprise break at the end because you’ve grown sick of waiting and gotten distracted by something else before the gun goes bang.
Okay, it’s not quite that long, but it sure as hell isn’t short. And at 16 pounds, my trigger finger is going to grow its own bicep. If I had to guess, this became standard on Eastern European pistols due to hard primers and the need for a little more punch. If it doesn’t fire in single-action, the double-action will surely make it go boom.
The single-action clears up nicely and provides a slightly heavy six-pound break. It’s about on par with a plain-Jane Hi-Power.
As you’d expect, single-action makes accurate shooting a lot easier. I was able to consistently hit a B-8 in the blackout to 25 yards with slow, deliberate fire. The three-dot irons are fine. Nothing fancy, but they’re usable.
At 15 yards, I ran some double-tap drills from the low ready, with the first shot being double-action. With the transitional trigger, I’ve got a gap of three inches between my shots fairly consistently.
For reference, with something like a GLOCK, my shots are about an inch apart for a true double-tap. As much as I love DA/SA guns, I’ve fallen out of practice with them, and the Arcus’s double-action trigger isn’t helping.
Riding The Lighting
Recoil is surprisingly snappy. Not excessive, but the slide cycles quite quickly. When first handling the gun, I noticed it seemed easier to rack than most. I can’t gauge it scientifically, but the recoil spring seems to be a little lighter than most, if I had to guess.
Since the gun is a second-hand purchase, it could have been swapped. I honestly prefer the 98DA’s recoil impulse and light recoil spring. If I do my part, it’s controllable and the fast-cycling slide makes it easy to go fast and get back on target quickly. The front sight just snaps right back where I want it, and that’s what matters to me.
You can fall into a natural cadence that encourages fast, but accurate shooting. I can dump the magazine into an A-zone without any difficulty. Keep a tight grip and let ‘er rip.
The controls are fine. I can find the magazine release naturally and the slide release is large and easy to engage with. The safety lever is quite stiff and difficult to press upward on the fly. However, it’s easy to press downward to disengage, and that’s what matters most.
I’ve only put about 300 rounds through the gun so far, with the majority being 115-grain Monarch steel-case stuff. I’ve had no malfunctions, but that’s not a ton of ammo. We shall see.
The Arcus Today
Obviously, this pistol is a bit dated. It’s a hefty gun at 33.5 ounces unloaded, making it about 10 ounces heavier than modern polymer-frame guns. It doesn’t have a rail or optic cut. This is an old-school DA/SA military pistol and it shows. For the price, it’s pretty solid, although I got a deal.
It seems like the typical price in the wild is around $300 to $350. At that level, it’s a little tougher sell. There are a lot of good, inexpensive guns out there these days. What the Arcus offers is an all-metal frame, which typically puts comparable Turkish pistols in the $500 dollar range.
The Arcus 98DA was designed for military and police forces in Bulgaria, but has apparently also been used by Iraqi police and military forces. The Arcus factory has an ISO rating, which ensures manufacturing consistency.
The 98DA gets stuck in a bit of a bottleneck thanks to its lack of compatibility with its original inspiration. If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s fine. It isn’t good or great, but it’s fine. For DA/SA fans like me, it’s a little treat in an oft-forgotten handgun genre.