From the Imperial War Museum site, there was this tidbit:
"At the outbreak of the First World War, few military aircraft were armed. As a result a variety of weapons were issued to airmen during the early part of the war. This American Remington pump-action rifle was one of 4000 purchased by the BritishAdmiralty to address a shortage of service rifles, many of which had been transferred to the Army. The original intention was to equip various small naval craft, but a number of these rifles were passed to the Royal Naval Air Service as aircraft armament."
Aircraft armament?? Kinda makes you wonder if someone at the Admiralty had been into the grog?
Yes, I read that part. I also know that foraging guns were issued but can't imagine their use. I've also followed the sequence of the armament of aircraft and those weren't mentioned except that "Sporting rifles" were taken aloft at some point... Handguns and lengths of chain...
Regards, Jim