▁the ▁guns ▁needed ▁to ▁equip ▁such ▁an ▁organisation . ▁C raw ford ▁wrote ▁to ▁five ▁arms ▁manufact ur ers , ▁including ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁Ste yr ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁Deutsche ▁W affen ▁und ▁Mun itions fab ri ken , ▁seeking ▁quot ations ▁for ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁rif les ▁and ▁one ▁million ▁r ounds ▁of ▁am mun ition . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁Union ist ▁Council ▁instit uted ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁Vol unte er ▁Force ▁( U VF ), ▁consisting ▁of ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁signed ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁C oven ant . ▁They ▁wanted ▁to ▁co - ordinate ▁the ▁par amil it ary ▁activities ▁of ▁Ul ster ’ s ▁union ists , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁give ▁military ▁backing ▁to ▁the ▁thre ats ▁of ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁C oven ant ▁to ▁resist ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Home ▁Rule ▁Bill , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁by ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁H . ▁H . ▁As qu ith . ▁These ▁thre ats ▁had ▁been ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁" g ig antic ▁game ▁of ▁bl uff ▁and ▁black mail " ▁by ▁Irish ▁national ist ▁leader ▁John ▁Red mond ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁most ▁Liberal ▁MP s , ▁including ▁W inst on ▁Church ill . ▁U VF ▁membership ▁grew ▁to ▁around ▁ 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁members , ▁led ▁by ▁retired ▁officers ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Army , ▁with ▁the ▁organisation ▁under ▁the ▁charge ▁of