Bulgarian Arcus 98DAC 9mm Compact 4.0" 13+1 HG1015-N

Customer Reviews

Great pistol
Review by JWL on 1/1/2015

Great pistol the single action trigger pull is great. very accurate I was able to consistently hit a 4" steel plate at 20yds.

Excellent Pistol and holsters are to be found
Review by Customer on 11/8/2014

Holster List At End of Review:

I bought my pistol a little while back and waited till I had put it through its paces before writing this review.

It comes in a cool box, the likes of which I had not seen since the 80's. It was a very oily piece of machinery out of the box, and took a bit of cleaning. Single action is perfect for EDC. Double action is a little heavy but certainly within the limits of what one would need to adequately defend themselves in their homes.

Yes, it weighs more than polymer framed guns. This pistol is all steel, then again, I like all steel guns. The 98DAC will use standard Hi-Power mags. It may resemble a Hi-Power in other ways as well. I do not know if other perishable parts, like recoil springs, are interchangeable. I did try installing a Hi-Power extended slide stop and that did not work. They looked very similar, but certain areas of machining was enough different that I had to stay with the one that came from Arcus.

I have now put several hundred rounds through this pistol. There have been no failures to either feed or extract, and every round hit where it was supposed to. It has had Winchester white box, Remington value pack, Federal FMJ and Hydro-shoks, and Hornady Critical Defense put through it. It will consume anything you feed it. I can't find any fault with this pistol.

Holsters is where the Arcus poses a challenge to owners. Hopefully I can help with this review.

1. Bianchi Model 59 Special Agent holster: I searched through the forums and found only one suggestion for a holster. Someone suggested the Bianchi Model 59 Special Agent holster. Don't waste your money. By the end of the day the leather has relaxed enough to let the weapon wobble front to back. I carry daily for personal defense, and that feeling of my weapon wobbling doesn't give me warm fuzzies. This holster works perfectly well for the range. There is a difference.

2. Bianchi Model 82 Colt Govt: I was going though the pile of unused holsters I have out in the barn. Just so happens there is a retention holster that works perfectly. That holster is the Bianchi 82 for Colt Government model of 1911. That would be the full sized 1911. The fit is good, straight, and the retention works as it should. There is about an inch more length to the holster than needed, but the function is perfect. With this holster I have added this pistol to the EDC rotation.

3. Classic Old West Styles® Bandelero Rig for the 1911: Snug as a bug in a rug. This stout shoulder holster rig will take care of both my 1911 and the Arcus 98DAC. The only draw back, is only that I have a pouch for a 1911 mag screwed to the chest strap, and I don't own a Hi-Power mag pouch for this rig. Classic Old West Styles sells that pouch though, so I may get one, or maybe take the 1911 mag pouch off of the chest strap. The good news though is that this holster also works as though it were made for the Arcus.

4. IWB Blackhawk Size 7. This one also came out of the pile-o-unused-holsters in the barn. These holsters are inexpensive and seem to work well. Its not a leather holster, but is very comfortable and seems to be very kind to the gun's finish. It works. I use this one around the house.

That is all I have found so far. Considering how the most of the holsters that seem to work are actually made for 1911, perhaps that's a direction to keep looking for more carry options.

slainte' mhath!
John

Awesome firearm
Review by erik502 on 10/19/2014

I'm going to start by saying that this handgun is awesome I purchased on a Friday had it at my ffl by Thursday out of box it will need a extensive cleaning to remove the grease or whatever it is th they cover it in but after that I headed to the range and I was extremely impressed at how accurate it was wherever I aimed is where it hit fit and finish is beautiful feels very good in hand and low recoil i even got a few compliments i have purchased a few things from classic and have always been more than happy with them I will definitely be a returning customer

Not bad...not bad at all......
Review by jhb on 10/12/2014

First of classic firearms has always been great to me. No different this time.

The good.
-Black finish held up to gun scrubber just fine to remove the factory grease.
-hi power mags work and feed just fine. Fit flush and are basically identical minus the bottom of the follower.
-fit and finish quite good on both the inside and outside. Should have taken pics to show y'all.
-3 dot sights good. Easy to see even in lower light. Decent and fairly comfortable grip angle to hit point of aim
-good solid feeling pistol no regrets.

The bad......

-zero exact made holsters. Heard fits generic leather like sig 239...but have to take weapon to lgs to find out.
-replacement springs gonna be hard to find and get.
-trigger shape and design is awkward and uncomfortable.
- trigger reset is all the way forward....followup shots not gonna be speedy without practice.
-super heavy double action trigger pull. Makes keltec p11 seem light and feathery.
-down turned beavertail limits high grip badly to get closer to the bore axis. A bit annoying for high grip holders like myself. Poor design imho...beavertail should stick straight out or not be there.

All that said...... for the super low price and all steel with chromed barrel it's pretty hard to complain. All annoyances above can be worked around. This is gonna make a fine truck gun or range toy. Until a working holster can be made.

See all the 5 star reviews? Get one!
Review by Dan on 9/23/2014

This is my second Arcus 98DAC - I got the two tone first and its very nice. I went with all black one this time as I've decided to make the Arcus my car gun and black is easier to hide. Its a solid gun - dependable, accurate, feeds all kinds of ammo very well. Get one, you'll like it.

See all the 5 star reviews? Get one!
Review by Dan on 9/23/2014

This is my second Arcus 98DAC - I got the two tone first and its very nice. I went with all black one this time as I've decided to make the Arcus my car gun and black is easier to hide. Its a solid gun - dependable, accurate, feeds all kinds of ammo very well. Get one, you'll like it.

More than expected
Review by Frank on 9/20/2014

I purchased the Arcus 98DAC for a "glovebox gun" to keep in a vehicle while traveling and wouldn't worry about it getting knocked around. When I first took the gun to the range, I ran 500 rounds through it (everything from the cheapest ammo to be found, up to some of the best personal defense ammo on the market), both single and double action, slow fire and rapid fire. This gun handled everything I could give it. I am truly impressed. One of the best gun purchases that I have ever made!

Solid and well made
Review by usrifle on 8/15/2014

Great Pistols for the money. All steel, excellent ergonomics. I purchased the 98DA first and I liked it so much I bought the DAC too.
The only mods were to trim the right side Grip panel a bit where it's blocked at the back of the panel for comfort, and to roll the magwell lips and smooth the well a bit an inch in.
They eat anything, reloads, full power etc and are quite accurate. I'm a die hard 1911 guy, and not a 9MM guy, but these are great pistols.

One would expect to have to do some gunsmithing to a firearm at this price point.
Review by mason on 6/24/2014

I purchased two of the Arcus 9mm DAC firearms. I took both of these firearms to my neighbors house and loaded them up. I was trying to be gentle with them and fired in bursts of 5 shots. At one point I disassembled both weapons to show my neighbor how well made they were. Upon trying to reassemble the slide was stopped from going back on due to the firing pin safety catch sticking too far up. After cleaning the weapon and everything we could think of we could not get it slid back together. I finally had to file the firing pin safety catch down enough to get the slide back on.
After this minor modification the guns fired wonderfully and were very accurate.
To all who purchase, these firearms, make sure you test them before having to potentially go into battle with them.

Outstanding
Review by Phil from ATL on 6/14/2014

After a quick cleaning (gun comes very heavily greased/oiled) I headed out to the range. I fed it 4 different brands of ammo (Winchester white box, CCI, S&B, and Magtech) and not a single problem. The gun is built like a tank, heavy and solid, so very little recoil at all. Very comfortable grip, feels awesome in hand. Front sight can be a bit "brighter", but that's an easy fix. This gun is very accurate out of box.
Final analysis - easily the best $300 I've ever spent on a firearm. Get one quick!

Glad I bought it before they ran out.
Review by roman1307 on 4/7/2014

I always wanted a 9mm and I've always liked the Browning Hi Power that these are supposedly based on, so it was a "no brainer" for me. The quality is very good based on the price and I hope all the research I did will prove this to be a great purchase. I feel the prices of many of Classic's handguns and long guns, make them a front runner in sales for inexpensive, quality guns with a large variety to choose from. I like most of all, the fact that Classic is here, just outside of Charlotte, NC where I live because I like to support my local economy.

Happy Happy Happy!
Review by Richard on 3/22/2014

The Arcus is a very well made pistol. The design is browning all the way. The pistol shoots and functions flawlessly out of the box. It looks as if Classic is doing a great job with them. I would highly recomend the Arcus line of pistols.

Great Pistol
Review by William on 3/17/2014

I bought this as I always wanted a Browning Hi power and never could justify the cost. I have to say I am extremely please with this pistol . It shoots great and functions really well . Its dirty out of the box and needs a good cleaning. I took it to the range and ran about 200+ rounds of mixed ammo thru this pistol Tula ammo and remmington, I also fired some hollow points as well I had 2 FTF with the Tula not feeding the whole time that was the only issue. Its is very accurate and I was low at 25 yards but that's probably me I haven't shot pistol at that range in a long time . This is a well made quality pistol I will probably be buying another for the wife As this is really a great deal .

Impressed at first trip to the range
Review by Dexter on 3/12/2014

I fired a hundred rounds through it without a hick-up. Super easy to clean. If it continues to perform like it has so far I will purchase another one.

wow!
Review by Stephen on 3/11/2014

okay, wasn't expecting this gun to be as nice as it is. i purchased as a gun to throw in range bag/under truck seat...after shooting and having no issues at all as well as just feeling really nice in the hand, i'm not sure i want to abuse it! giving 4 stars only because of the tough DA trigger, a bit harder than i liked but it is able to be carried SA mode and that trigger pull is quite nice.

Good Value Pistol
Review by mecjac on 2/2/2014

I have only put about 100 rounds through my Arcus DAC so I can't really speak for the longevity of the pistol. I can say all rounds fed and fired without an issue. The milling is a little rough on this but for the price point that is to be expected. There is however no 'slop' in the slide and finished is nice. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend as a budget carry piece or entry level pistol.

Excellent buy
Review by gary on 1/22/2014

Very nice gun at a very good price. I don't think there are any on line vendors that can come close to matching the prices that Classic offers. Gun feels great in the hand, and very well balanced. Good buy!

A great addition to the arsenal
Review by LL on 3/23/2013

I was skeptical even after reading the online reviews about the Arcus. But i took a chance and have been VERY pleasantly surprised. The Arcus is a great weapon. It has good balance, feels great in my hands, is easy to get back on target, and shoots true (it is more accurate than I am). Trigger pull is great in SA, and OK in DA. It feeds anything i put into it. So far, I have shot a 500 round mix of PMC, WWB, Federal Hydra-shok, and local FMJ reloads with no issues. It has become my second favorite carry weapon behind my G19. My only gripe is finding extra magazines for this weapon.

Service from Classic Firearms was fantastic. Even with the recent order crunch the firearm was shipped in a timely manner to my LGS. Communication from Classic was top-knotch also.

One note: be prepared to perform a thorough cleaning on these firearms before shooting - they come packed with grease.

Great feeling BHP clone
Review by Vidd9130 on 2/22/2013

Great feeling pistol. Well balanced. The Arcus 98DA and 98DAC are Browning High Power clones. The 98DAC is parts compatible and the 98DA is a bigger higher capacity version. I bought one of each from Classic. New in the box and fun to open. They come a little oily and need wiping down. Anyone that's shot one has liked them. Can't wait to get to the range! When Classic gets the ton tone ones back in, I'm snagging one.

Great Pistol, Great Price
Review by Datrowl on 2/11/2013

What can I say about the Arcus DAC other than its a GREAT pistol, all steel frame and slide, sits good and solid in the hand. The Arcus DAC uses standard Browning hi-power mags which are easy to find and usually quite reasonable in cost. The fit and finish are above the level I'd expect from a pistol this price. The size is almost exactly equal to that of my CZ P01 compact. It goes BANG every time I pull the trigger and holds good tight groups... the DA trigger is not quite as good as that on my CZs but the SA trigger is better.... it brakes clean at about 4 lbs with just a touch of creep..... maby 1/16th inch

overall I'm VERY impressed with how much pistol you get for the money.... I'll watch for em to restock as I'd like to get about 2 more of these....... I believe these pistols are the most under rated value on the market today....buy with confidence, Arcus DAC is good to go.

Not fancy but built like a tank
Review by RR on 1/27/2013

Bought mine 4 years and 5000 rounds ago. Basic like an old GI 1911 in 9mm w/DA/SA option.Nothing snobbish about it.No name recognition. Often overlooked as a Browning clone. Its my best loved handgun for range or concealed. My duty gun is a Sig...., comp gun is.a Rem 1911 Enhanced, and the Arcus.is my friend.Loyal, dependable, always there.