[GunGeek]

As many know I recently acquired an AR-180, and as long timers know, I've always had an interest in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. I've done some research on the use of the AR-180 in Northern Ireland and I believe I've finally answered some long standing questions I always had.

1 - How many
2 - AR-18's or AR-180's.
3 - Which manufacturers

The Troubles - A study in gun control.

The subject is extremely interesting because it's a classic case of what happens to an oppressed minority when they are disarmed. The IRA's actions actually started as a neighborhood watch for Catholic families to protect them from violence and riots caused by the loyalists. When Catholics began seeing the civil rights movement in the US, they decided it wasn't unreasonable that they be granted equal rights. Well the Protestants reacted very violently, by assaulting Catholics, running them out of their homes and putting Protestant families in, or just burning Catholics out. All the while the RUC and the British government had occasion to just turn a blind eye to what was going on. Just prior to the beginning of The Troubles there was a disarmament agreement made between the Northern Ireland government and the IRA. My recollection was this was late '50's to early '60's. So the Catholics found themselves being targeted by armed Protestants and they were somewhat freshly disarmed, and the local law enforcement refused to come to their aid, or were actively participating in the violence against the Catholics. So the IRA was in a real bad position and had to rapidly arm up.

Up Arming in Northern Ireland and Enter the AR-180

The AR-180 became "the IRA weapon" of The Troubles mostly because when they finally sourced "modern" weapons, the AR-180 was the first one they got in any meaningful numbers. And considering the early '70's that makes sense. Most support for the PIRA came from the US through the NORAID organization, and infamous gun runner George Harrison (no, not that one). In the late '60's to early '70's the only modern 5.56 rifle commonly available was the AR-180. AR-15's were available but not in any real numbers, as Colt was still filling US Military orders. So a lot of civilian and LE sales went to the AR-18/180. So since most weapons came from the US and the 180 was the most common 5.56 rifle in the early '70's, it makes sense that the 180 became the "IRA Rifle". Semi- Auto AR-180's could be bought up by supporters and given to gun runners like Harrison.

So how many were brought into Northern Ireland? Well I've never seen anything I could call authoritative or definitive, but the 2,000 number has come up time and time again during my research. Since one was uncovered just last year, I'm sure there are still several that are unaccounted for. Something tells me when the IRA disarmed, those that held back, held back the absolute best.

AR-18's or AR-180's.

Through my study I can't find a single truly credible reference to an AR-18, and only a few mentions of the AR-180. Most documentation just calls it an Armalite, and leaves it at that. Since it's known that most came from the US, it makes sense that they were 180's and not 18's because of NFA regulations. Getting AR-18's would have been difficult to pull off without getting caught (and no one was caught BUYING the weapons, only smuggling the weapons). Also I've seen early photos (1970-75) that showed detail of AR's and they were semi-auto Colt SP1's.

The Widowmaker is born.

The AR-18 made a HUGE hit in Northern Ireland on both sides, but is most closely associated with the Provisional IRA. In firefights against the RUC or the British Army, the AR-180 proved to be quite effective. And the Brit Army after a few years facing off against AR 18's and 15's began to see their FAL's at a marked disadvantage. It's perhaps a bit ironic that the rifle that they would choose to replace their FAL's was basically a Bullpup AR-18. The RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) was known to have AR-180's throughout the conflict, so the Provisional IRA were occasionally on the receiving end of the little Armalite. I'm unsure who first coined the name, but both sides quickly referred to the AR-180 as the Widowmaker. There were at least two songs written about the AR-18...which were generically just called Armalites in Northern Ireland. The more common name was just the Armalite, which became somewhat of a generic term for a 5.56 military rifle.

Which manufactures of AR-180's?

So the more I look into this, the more and more I'm thinking that it was likely a mix of Howa's and Costa Mesa's (see photos below). Most references from government sources list Armalite AR-180 and doesn't state which "Armalite AR-180. I have found one specific government source identifying captured AR-180 as Howa manufacture.

https://archive.org/stream/armstransferstoi00schu/armstransferstoi00schu_djvu.txt

The AR-180 is manufactured in Japan for the Armalite
Corporation of Costa Mesa, Calif. The entire Japanese
production is reportedly shipped to the United States, where
the light-weight, aluminium-frame weapon has a ready market
among sportsmen and, to an extent, police departments.

Since the bitter, triangular hostilities erupted in
1969 - involving I.R.A. gunmen, the British Army and
Protestant extremists - 11 AR-180s have been seized from the
I.R.A. by British troops and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Several of the seized Armalites were traced back to purchases
made from local gun dealers in the United States, according
to the Constabulary headquarters. [James M. Markham, 85
"Gun-Running Case in U.S. Embitters I.R.A. Supporters," The
New York Times , 17 July 1972), p. 1.]

Some photographic evidence of Costa Mesa and Howa AR-180's.

Due to the jam nut on the flash suppressor, this is clearly a Howa Manufactured rifle.

This was recovered just last year in Northern Ireland (yes, they're still turning up). Due to the green color of the finish on this which has clearly been in storage for probably more than a decade, I'm labeling this a Costa Mesa AR-180. Costa Mesa's were zinc Parkerized and many had a greenish tint. Long term storage in Cosmoline would likely bring out more green in the color, as we've seen on pre-WWII era small arms that were zinc Parkerized.

Due to the small jam nut on this one, it is most likely a Costa Mesa AR-180.

What about Sterlings?

I can find no direct evidence of the use of Sterlings, but I refuse to believe there were none in Northern Ireland. The AR-180 was still somewhat popular with the RUC, and they would have access to Sterlings. And of course, smuggling from the US did continue on a smaller scale. Given that most any military small arm imaginable had been uncovered in Northern Ireland, I find it a long shot that there were no Sterling AR-180's. in Northern Ireland.

I have purposefully tried to steer away from the politics in this post, but a little creep'd in when laying some background. Please understand, I'm in no way condoning the terrorist actions of the Provisional IRA or the various Loyalist terror organizations such as the UVF, UDA, RHC.

 

[SpecialEd]

As many know I recently acquired an AR-180, and as long timers know, I've always had an interest in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. I've done some research on the use of the AR-180 in Northern Ireland and I believe I've finally answered some long standing questions I always had.

>>>

Kevin, were there many women fighters?

 

[GunGeek]

Kevin, were there many women fighters?

There most certainly were women involved with the "Real IRA" (the non-terroists) and the Provisional IRA (the terrorists). Back in the old days, before the Easter Uprising in 1916 there was a group called the Cumann na mBan (The Irishwomen's Council). The IRA really didn't want women to participate in any fighting, but they weren't able to hold the women back during the uprising. While most women served in non-combat roles, there were many women arrested at the Post Office surrender in 1916, some were known to have taken part in the fighting, a couple as snipers. In fact, in every "battalion" of the IRA during the Easter Uprising, there were women integrated, and some did some fighting.

When the IRA split into the two primary wings during The Troubles, Cumann na mBan sided with the Provisional IRA and did engage in acts of terror, and armed combat with Loyalist terrorist organizations, the RUC and even the British Army.

I recall reading that one prison holding political prisoners under the internment without trial policy held over 150 women for terrorism. The women in those prisons also took part in the hunger strikes.

Both sides took good advantage of the extremely socially conservative nature of the Catholics and Protestants. Often women were used as runners for communication, and mules carrying weapons as British soldiers knew if they actually hands on frisked a woman, the locals would raise 3 kinds of hell for feeling up a woman.

And there were women involved on the other side of the conflict who were members of the UVF and various other Loyalist terrorist groups.

Here two Cumann na mBan women search a man while providing security to Catholic neighborhoods. Armed with an AR-180 nonetheless.

One of the most famous photos of both women in combat, and of the AR-180 being used in Northern Ireland.

Marchers during an IRA funeral

 

[SpecialEd]

You do realize that the first picture in your original post is a women right?

 

[stand watie]

SpeciaEd,

OR just possibly a male with more than a basic load of estrogen.
(There are a few of such males out there. = I had a young MP under my command once who was voted "the MP who would have made the hottest girl". = He was absolutely PRETTY. - Females from 8-80YO couldn't keep their hands off of him, believe it or not)

yours, sw

 

[GunGeek]

You do realize that the first picture in your original post is a women right?

Yes, I thought that was clear.

 

[csmkersh]

The Orange men of Northern Ireland are both Protestants and loyal to Britain.
They aren't really Irishmen despite where they were born and I doubt they ever will be.

 

[GunGeek]

The Orange men of Northern Ireland are both Protestants and loyal to Britain.
They aren't really Irishmen despite where they were born and I doubt they ever will be.

They are a strange group the Northern Ireland Protestants. And while I tend to lean toward the Catholics, I certainly understand the issues the Loyalists have; change is always difficult.

They call themselves Loyalists but they'll attack the British in a heartbeat if they think the Brits are going to come down on the side of the Catholics on some issue. They have threatened to secede on several occasions because they didn't like British policies regarding Catholics.

What is abundantly clear is, they share no identity with Irish Catholics whatsoever, so the thought of unification to my mind is a preposterous notion...it's aesthetically pleasing, but other than that it makes no sense at all.

The Troubles started with Protestants attacking Catholics when Catholics started asking for equal rights. It all started with a peaceful Catholic civil rights march, and the Protestants DID NOT see the humor in that at all. They want their way of life to stay unchanged (right or wrong) and they are not shy about using violence when their way of life is threatened.

Belfast is to this day a very uneasy place, Catholics and Protestants DO NOT like each other...they tolerate each other, but that's about it. There are still places that we would call a "sundown town". Where if you're say a Catholic in a Prod neighborhood after dark, it may not go very well for you. And the Catholics will do the same to a Protestant who wanders where he shouldn't.

I'm just glad the real violence is over. Both Catholic and Protestant, they're good people over there and I hated watching their children growing up with such violence and hopelessness.

 

[threefeathers]

With all of the fal da ra about piston AR's I wonder why no one brought back the AR 18?

 

[threefeathers]

GunGeek
The animosity of Irish Catholic v Irish Protestants often ends at our border. For example during the 80's I was the Athletic Director at a Catholic High School. I hired an IRA member who was actually smuggled into the US in a fake coffin. He taughr English and coached soccer. I hired an American who was a first gen Protestant as the BB Coach. Both of them assisted each other as track coaches. It took one year for the Catholic to marry the sister of the Protestant. Today their children are 'Christians' and love their parents and uncles. (And the former A. D.)