Powered aircraft were originally considered worthless for any military use, because their limited ceiling and speed, and their fragility, made their survival in a combat arena questionable. Their potential was recognized, however, in their ability to range further and faster over the battlefield than any other method. This would make them ideal as scouts. In fact, this was the first use that aircraft were put to, once they were (almost) sturdy enough for front line service. According to Rickenbacker, one such scout prevented the encirclement of the BEF when the pilot reported movements of the adjacent French armies that had opened a large gap on the flank.
The first scouts were flimsy, under powered, and extremely fragile. Carrying weapons was not even considered because the extra weight couldn't be lifted. The early days of WW I saw the scouts struggling into the air for flights that barely reached the front lines. Things rapidly changed. Commanders wanted more range and more frequent flights, and achieving those required engines that were more reliable, more powerful and more efficient. Scouting became more effective.
Since they were unarmed, scout pilots had no real reason to be aggressive; they couldn't accomplish anything anyway. Or could they? Obviously, neither side wanted enemy scout pilots looking at their troop dispositions. Arming friendly scouts might allow them to drive off any enemy they might encounter. ( The myth about pilots carrying bricks up and dropping them on opposing aircraft MAY have happened, but I seriously doubt it. I tried hitting the flight deck of my icebreaker with a snowball from a helicopter doing only 70 knots and at about 200 feet altitude. It hit nearly at the bow, over 200 feet forward of my aim point. Varying speeds require the shooter to use IMMENSE amounts of lead in order to hit his target.) Rifles and pistols were fairly lightweight. Extended magazines were developed for the bolt action rifles of the various combatants and also the Colt .45 automatic pistol. The pistol also had a grip mounted brass catcher fastened to one side to prevent the empty cases from being driven into the shooter's face by the slipstream. It wasn't until the planes could lift machine guns that there was a potentially effective weapon in the sky, though.
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