Got it from AIM for just over 2 bills. For those who don't know, the Arcus is a Bulgarian version of the venerable Browning Hi-power. I have to say, it was the most pitiful thing I've ever seen when I opened the box. Totally covered in cosmolene, looked like a big POS. Even my dealer said, "Jason, that is one ugly gun", and he shoots a chromed Glock for chrissakes!! But I preservered and took it home for a cleaning.
Wow, what a difference. While the exterior design is about as spartan as it gets, the internals are fantastic. Every piece is sharp, clean, and tough as nails. It rides the slide rails smoothly without any oiling and the trigger ain't too bad even with the mag safety installed (it will go soon enough). Long and creepy, but not that heavy. It is a big gun though, the slide is squared off and the trigger guard is huge. Reminds me of that Springfield Operator 1911 with the big beefy slide. The grips are rubber with finger grooves and pretty bulky. It definitely does not have the slim grip I liked on my bud's BHP. THis should be remedied with new grips though. The sights are the real kicker. They are TINY. I don't think the rear sight rises more than 2-3 millimeters (maybe 1/10 inch) above the slide. Novak combat sights these are not. Alas, due to the thick slide, I think BHP sights will have dovetails that are a little too short. Oh well, this gun isn't winning any beauty contests so some gaps on either end of the sight dovetails shouldn't be critical. The included 10 rd mags (2) are very well made and fit perfectly. Once I scrap the mag safety they should fall free with no problem. The thumb safety is also lacking, it is very thin and only on 1 side, so no IDPA until I get an ambi installed (I'm a lefty). Supposedly BHP parts drop right in. I'll shoot it this weekend to see how it compares to my new HS2000.
Pros: Cheap-$220 (and looks it externally, but the internals are gold)
Supposed to take BHP parts
Pretty good trigger even pre-mag safety removal
Damn good metal work and excellent frame-slide mating
Cons: Tiny sights (we'll see how well they work)
Doesn't have that classic BHP look due to heavy slide
No ambi safety (but hopefully it's an option)
Grips are a bit thick
So, it didn't cure that BHP itch like I was hoping, but maybe a hogue grip, some aftermarket sights, and a home-made trigger job will fix that. Looks to be a hell of a gun though for $250 delivered. Got some 17 rd BHP mags coming in as well, they are nice and cheap. I'll post a range report on sunday, see if this gun can live up to its ancestor. LAter.
Oh yeah, I got the full size Type 94, the single action version.
Wow, what a difference. While the exterior design is about as spartan as it gets, the internals are fantastic. Every piece is sharp, clean, and tough as nails. It rides the slide rails smoothly without any oiling and the trigger ain't too bad even with the mag safety installed (it will go soon enough). Long and creepy, but not that heavy. It is a big gun though, the slide is squared off and the trigger guard is huge. Reminds me of that Springfield Operator 1911 with the big beefy slide. The grips are rubber with finger grooves and pretty bulky. It definitely does not have the slim grip I liked on my bud's BHP. THis should be remedied with new grips though. The sights are the real kicker. They are TINY. I don't think the rear sight rises more than 2-3 millimeters (maybe 1/10 inch) above the slide. Novak combat sights these are not. Alas, due to the thick slide, I think BHP sights will have dovetails that are a little too short. Oh well, this gun isn't winning any beauty contests so some gaps on either end of the sight dovetails shouldn't be critical. The included 10 rd mags (2) are very well made and fit perfectly. Once I scrap the mag safety they should fall free with no problem. The thumb safety is also lacking, it is very thin and only on 1 side, so no IDPA until I get an ambi installed (I'm a lefty). Supposedly BHP parts drop right in. I'll shoot it this weekend to see how it compares to my new HS2000.
Pros: Cheap-$220 (and looks it externally, but the internals are gold)
Supposed to take BHP parts
Pretty good trigger even pre-mag safety removal
Damn good metal work and excellent frame-slide mating
Cons: Tiny sights (we'll see how well they work)
Doesn't have that classic BHP look due to heavy slide
No ambi safety (but hopefully it's an option)
Grips are a bit thick
So, it didn't cure that BHP itch like I was hoping, but maybe a hogue grip, some aftermarket sights, and a home-made trigger job will fix that. Looks to be a hell of a gun though for $250 delivered. Got some 17 rd BHP mags coming in as well, they are nice and cheap. I'll post a range report on sunday, see if this gun can live up to its ancestor. LAter.
Oh yeah, I got the full size Type 94, the single action version.