æz ɡˈʌnpaʊdɚɹ ɪmpɹˈuːvd, ðɪ ɛksplˈoʊsɪv dɪstʃˈɑːɹdʒ wʌz ɪŋkɹˈiːst, ænd dəbɹˈiː ɔːɹ pˈɛlɪts ˈædᵻd, ɡˈɪvɪŋ ɪt sˌʌm ʌvðɪ ɪfˈɛkts əvə kˌɑːmbᵻnˈeɪʃən mˈɑːdɚn flˈeɪmθɹoʊɚ ænd ʃˈɑːtɡʌn, bˌʌt wɪð ɐ vˈɛɹi ʃˈɔːɹt ɹˈeɪndʒ ɐbˈaʊt, ænd ˈoʊnli wˈʌn ʃˈɑːt sˌʌm wɜː dɪzˈaɪnd fɔːɹ tˈuː ʃˈɑːts.
As gunpowder improved, the explosive discharge was increased, and debris or pellets added, giving it some of the effects of a combination modern flamethrower and shotgun, but with a very short range (about ), and only one shot (some were designed for two shots).