[1] Perrier is the historical term in English for such weapons, literally a stone thrower.

The pierrier was a breech-loading weapon, using a powder chamber similar to a beer mug for loading of individual shots, without having to load from the front or lose time ramming charges in.

The pierrier allowed for extremely fast loading and firing, as it expended charges prepared in advance.

[2] On the downside, it leaked easily, leading to loss of power and safety issues for the gunners.

Note: it should not be confused with the 18th-century pierrier as described in the Encyclopédie of Diderot, which was a thin-walled wide-mouthed stone-throwing mortar (see the lower image in his Pl.