Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	Arcus Co. More Info

About the Gun

The Arcus 94 is a full-size, single-action 9 mm pistol built on a steel Browning Hi-Power-style frame. It follows the GP-35 layout with a more angular slide, a squared and partially serrated trigger guard, wide cocking serrations, and a lanyard loop at the heel of the grip. Finish is blued or duo-tone steel, and grip panels were offered in wrapped rubber, plastic, or walnut. Some examples have a tang and others do not. It is a conventional double-column service pistol rather than a compact carry piece.

Production

Production ran from 1994 through 2008.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $300. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $300–$450.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	9 mm Luger
Alias:	9 mm Parabellum
More Info

Analysis

Arcus Co. of Lyaskovets, Bulgaria, introduced the 94 in 1994 as a close copy of the FN Browning Hi-Power during the plant’s shift from defense fuses and ammunition into export small arms. The pistol kept the familiar single-action trigger, frame-mounted thumb safety, magazine disconnect, and 13-round magazine of the P-35, and many magazines and internal parts interchange with the Belgian gun. Styling was simplified with flatter, more angular machining to cut production time. U.S. examples arrived mainly through Miltex and later Century Arms, with importation concentrated from 1998 through 2008. The 94 remained a commercial and export pistol; Arcus followed it in 1998 with the double-action 98DA for Bulgarian military and police contracts. Surplus 94s have also reached the U.S. market in later lots, including guns previously used in Israel.