List of weapons used by the Provisional Irish Republican Army

List of weapons used by the Provisional Irish Republican Army during The Troubles (1969-1997).

Sources

During the initial phase of The Troubles (1969-1972), the Provisional IRA was poorly equipped and primarily used weapons from World War II. Beginning in the 1970s, the Provisional IRA began importing modern weapons from supporters in the United States, Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and arms dealers in Europe, America, the Middle East and elsewhere.

Small arms

ModelImageCaliberTypeOriginDetails
Pistols
Beretta 929×19mm ParabellumPistol Italy
Browning Hi-Power9×19mm ParabellumPistol Belgium
Glock 179×19mm ParabellumPistol Austria
Luger P089×19mm ParabellumPistol Germany[1]
M1911.45 ACPPistol United StatesKnown to be used in some quantities from 1969-98.[2]
Webley Revolver.455 WebleyRevolver United Kingdom[3]
Rifles
Lee–Enfield.303 BritishBolt action rifle United KingdomUsed initially in the Troubles.[4][5][6]
M1 carbine.30 CarbineSemi-automatic Carbine United States[7][6]
M1 Garand.30-06 SpringfieldSemi-automatic rifle United States[8][5]
SKS7.62×39mmSemi-automatic rifle Soviet UnionLimited usage.[8]
AR-155.56×45mm NATOSemi-automatic rifle United StatesSmuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network.[9]
AR-185.56×45mm NATOSemi-automatic rifle United StatesSmuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network.[9]
L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle7.62×51mm NATOBattle rifle United Kingdom[8]
Heckler & Koch G37.62×51mm NATOBattle rifle GermanyStolen from Norwegian Reserve Base near Oslo in 1984.[9]
FN FAL7.62×51mm NATOBattle rifle Belgium[9]
Remington Model 742.30-06 Springfield, .308 WinchesterSemi-automatic rifle United States[8][10]
M14 Rifle7.62×51mm NATOBattle rifle United StatesSmuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network, most seized upon arrival.[9]
Assault rifles
AK-477.62×39mmAssault rifle Soviet UnionProvided by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.[3]
AKM7.62×39mmAssault rifle Soviet UnionProvided by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Type 567.62×39mmAssault rifle People's Republic of ChinaChinese variant of the Russian AK-47 and AKM. Provided by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
PM md. 637.62×39mmAssault rifle Socialist Republic of RomaniaRomanian variant of Russian AK-47 and AKM. Provided by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. AIM models used.[11]
vz. 587.62×39mmAssault Rifle CzechoslovakiaProvided by Gaddafi.
M165.56×45mm NATOAssault rifle United StatesSmuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network.[9]
FN FNC5.56×45mm NATOAssault rifle Belgium
AN-945.45×39mmAssault rifle RussiaReportedly, the IRA imported 20 examples in late 2001.[12]
Sniper rifles
Barrett M8250 BMGAnti-materiel rifle United StatesUsed during the South Armagh Sniper campaign.[13]
Barrett M9050 BMGAnti-materiel rifle United StatesUsed during the South Armagh Sniper campaign.[14]
Submachine guns
Thompson submachine gun.45 ACPSubmachine Gun United StatesUsed briefly before they were taken out of active use.[15][6]
M3 submachine gun.45 ACPSubmachine Gun United StatesSmuggled to Ireland by the Harrison Network.[9]
Sten9×19mm ParabellumSubmachine Gun United Kingdom
MP-409×19mm ParabellumSubmachine GunNazi Germany
Sterling submachine gun9×19mm ParabellumSubmachine Gun United Kingdom[8]
Sa vz. 237.62×25mm TokarevSubmachine gun Czechoslovakia
Uzi9×19mm ParabellumSubmachine Gun Israel
MAC-10.45 ACPSubmachine Gun United StatesSome smuggled by Harrison Network, but most of them seized.[9]
Beretta M129×19mm ParabellumSubmachine Gun Italy
MP59×19mm ParabellumSubmachine Gun GermanyMost seized by FBI in anti-smuggling sting op.[9]
Vigneron submachine gun9×19mm ParabellumSubmachine gun Belgium
United Defense M429×19mm ParabellumSubmachine Gun United StatesGiven to the IRA by Greek Cypriot group EOKA.[8]
Machine guns
Bren light machine gun.303 BritishLight machine gun United Kingdom[3]
FN MAG7.62×51mmGeneral-purpose machine gun BelgiumKnown to have 12 MAGs.[9]
M607.62×51mm NATOGeneral-purpose machine gun United States[16]
DShK12.7×108mmHeavy machine gun Soviet UnionKnown to have 20 DShKs.[9]
M2 Browning.50 BMGHeavy machine gun United States
M1919 Browning.30-06Medium machine gun United States

Explosives

ModelImageTypeOriginDetails
IEDImprovised explosive device IrelandOften using ANFO, Gelignite or Semtex.[17][18]
Molotov cocktailIncendiary device Ireland

Anti-tank weapons

ModelImageDiameterTypeOriginDetails
RPG-740 mm (launcher only, warhead diameter varies)Rocket-propelled grenade Soviet UnionSome smuggled into Northern Ireland via Libya.[9]

Anti-aircraft weapons

ModelImageDiameterTypeOriginDetails
9K32 Strela-272 mmMan-portable air-defense system Soviet UnionDesignated SA-7 Grail by NATO. Most shipments of Grails to Northen Ireland seized in 1987.[19]

Flamethrowers

ModelImageTypeOriginDetails
LPO-50Flamethrower Soviet Union[3]

Mortars

ModelImageDiameterTypeOriginDetails
Barrack buster320 MMImprovised mortar Ireland[20]

References

  1. "Martin McGuinness using a Luger pistol".
  2. French (2018), p. 94.
  3. Oppenheimer, A. R. (2009). IRA: The Bombs and The Bullets. A History of Deadly Ingenuity. Irish Academic Press, chapter 4. ISBN 978-0-7165-2895-1
  4. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/why-the-114-year-old-lee-enfield-rifle-is-only-now-being-retired-by-the-canadian-armed-forces
  5. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ira-quiescent-during-killings-says-derry-oc-1.1304877
  6. The Troubles #14 (June 1972), page 31.
  7. Taylor, Peter (1997). Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 109. ISBN 0-7475-3818-2.
  8. https://magill.ie/archive/rifles-ira
  9. "Inside the Ira - Weapons & Technology | the Ira & Sinn Fein | FRONTLINE | PBS".
  10. http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2407
  11. "Analysis of ÓnaÉ Video". 18 August 2014.
  12. The Irish Times (21 April 2002). "IRA reported rearming as Castlereagh burglary denied". Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  13. Neville, Leigh (25 Aug 2016). Modern Snipers. General Military. Osprey Publishing. pp. 30–31. ISBN 9781472815347.
  14. Harnden, Toby (2000) Bandit Country:The IRA and South Armagh. Coronet Books, pp. 406-407. ISBN 0-340-71737-8
  15. O'Brien, Brendan (1993). The Long War: The IRA and Sinn Féin, 1985 to Today. Syracuse University Press. pp. 279–. ISBN 978-0-8156-0319-1.
  16. Christopher Dobson and Ronald Payne (1982). The Terrorists: Their Weapons, Leaders, and Tactics. Facts on File. pp. 119–120. ISBN 0871966689.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  17. "IRA guns: The list of weapons". BBC News. 26 September 2005.
  18. Asal, Victor; Gill, Paul; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Horgan, John (2015). "Killing Range". The Journal of Conflict Resolution. 59 (3): 401–427. doi:10.1177/0022002713508927. PMC 4361499. PMID 25838603.
  19. https://media.nti.org/pdfs/libya_missile.pdf
  20. Ackerman, Gary (March 2016). "The Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Development of Mortars". Journal of Strategic Security. 9 (1): 12–34. doi:10.5038/1944-0472.9.1.1501.

Bibliography

  • French, Laurence Armand (2018). The History of Policing America: From Militias and Military to the Law Enforcement of Today. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-1538102039.
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