Developed and manufactured on planet Dressel, the Dressellian Projectile Rifle gained popularity among Dressellians and Bothans alike due to the archaic technology which made it easier to maintain and supply. Explosively-driven projectiles could be manufactured in isolation, without sophisticated industrial processes, and were useless to opposing forces equipped with more advanced weaponry. While solid projectiles were the standard, special loads were also developed, including incendiary, plastic "mercy" slugs, and poison-tipped.

A twelve-shot detachable magazine improved the rifle's rate of fire, although due to the arcing trajectory of the ballistic slugs, considerable practice was required in order to shoot the weapon accurately. A wooden stock and durasteel construction lend the slugthrower an aesthetic appeal that collectors have come to appreciate, and variants have been found which featured pistol grips, optical scopes, and bafflers that muffle the distinctive pop. While no longer produced on either Dressel or Bothawui, the reliability of the Dressellian Projectile Rifle has kept it in circulation, where it is likely to remain for many generations to come.