That's...rather a lot of inference there.
I don't want to cast aspersions...but I don't see a BattleMaster on your Avatar anywhere. Do you have some kind of insider status to support that? or maybe you're just extremely good at reading between the lines?
Max respect here, but you're reading A LOT into this very niche subject for someone who isn't on the inside of how the HVAC was written and why. So, as a guy with very, very poor name recognition; ARE you a BT insider?
I can look at the stats and the arrangement, same as anyone else. when you consider how much thought goes into every OTHER weapon and equipment they've produced since 1985? This was clearly designed as a prank, and there are also the responses from back when it was first introduced and people pointed out the obvious logical flaws in an otherwise pretty reasonable setting-at least, wrt the tech tree.
I've also been part of the community for a while. (check with the admins if you're unsure.) This wasn't an accident, it was carefully thought out before they published, they KNEW the reaction it would draw.
Hence, the gimmick is central to the item's concept, and the one feature unlikely to be changed with subsequent iterations of rules updates. remember also this was coming off of several years of developing the Jihad, and dealing with loud (and often unfair) criticisms not only of the tech implemented from Wizkids, but also of tech that already had standing (like Ultra autocannons) by players who wanted their cake in edible form minus any drawback whatsoever.
If it worked, without the drawback, it wouldn't have been intro'ed as a Cappellan product, it would have been a RoTS or Clan or even WoB advancement. The obvious tie to the Cappies was clearly a response to the criticism aimed at how the 'Cappellans are getting munchy' after the Coleman books came out, but on a meta-scale, it's also a clear reaction to minmaxer or munchkin players.
so it's clearly a statement. yes, it's all inference, but the conditions line up, the at-release reactions do too. remind you, it's been several years since then, but HVACs were discussed, including the explodey-flaw, back when it was released, and the answers from "Insiders" were rather flippant at the time...because that's the JOKE.
It isn't
supposed to be good. it's supposed to offer a marginal advantage with a severe disadvantage.