ition ▁for ▁them . ▁Other ▁histor ians ▁consider ▁that ▁the ▁M aus er ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁model ▁was ▁advanced ▁for ▁its ▁time , ▁and ▁the ▁Lar ne ▁delivery ▁marked ly ▁increased ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁arms ▁for ▁the ▁U VF . ▁Many ▁much ▁smaller ▁weapons ▁purch ases ▁had ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁U VF ▁as ▁having ▁just ▁over ▁ 3 7 , 0 0 0 ▁rif les ▁by ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁Lar ne ▁gun - running ▁put ▁the ▁gun ▁back ▁into ▁Irish ▁politics . ▁The ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers ▁had ▁been ▁working ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁plan ▁to ▁ac quire ▁weapons , ▁and ▁the ▁success ▁at ▁Lar ne ▁height ened ▁national ist ▁susp ic ions ▁that ▁the ▁authorities ▁were ▁acqu ies cent ▁towards ▁union ist ▁milit ants ▁in ▁Ul ster . ▁After ▁the ▁events ▁in ▁Lar ne , ▁the ▁national ist ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers , ▁formed ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁attract ed ▁many ▁new ▁members . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁the ▁government ▁requested ▁all ▁arms ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁of ▁the ▁U VF ▁for ▁the ▁war ▁effort . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁the ▁am mun ition ▁had ▁largely ▁been ▁transferred , ▁but ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁rif les . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁after ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁war ▁of ▁Independ ence , ▁the ▁rif les ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁arm ▁the ▁new ▁Ul ster ▁Special ▁Const ab ul ary ▁that