Since Beretta and Benelli are introducing gee-whiz useless crap I thought I'd toss my hat into the ring. Here's an idea. I won't patent it.

A self-defense handgun that shoots 12ga pyrotechnic rounds. Here's the deal. The Pyro rounds are those metallic combustion rounds that throw a cone of 3000 degree flame a couple hundred feet. The biggest limitation on their use is that you usually don't need a flamethrower, and they'll probably melt your shotgun barrel after the first or second use.

So instead, a 12ga derringer with an 8" ceramic barrel. It shoots pyro rounds. At charging bears. Having no personal experience with charging bears, someone else would have to say whether or not having it's face burned off would effectively stop an attack.

Yeah I like the concept but if the woods are dry it may create one heck of a forest fire. And now-a-days they charge you for putting out the fire and sometimes charge you with arson.

haha
Good concept, and good story. lol

They got those already, they are called flare guns. Problem is it will start a forest fire. You don't care about starting the woods on fire and burning the trees? Bet you will when the fire surrounds you or moves in your direction faster than you can move!

Darwin Award nominee killed by her pet 350lb black bear.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/05/bear.attack/index.html

After reading numerous grizzly bear books-especially notable the stories regarding idiot and now deceased, self-proclaimed "bear whisperer" Timothy Treadwell-I've come to the conclusion that Bear Spray is your best bet. Worn on your belt, you can access it instantly and the bear is incapacitated but not left as a wounded menace for the next guy that comes along. Luckily I have no personal experience but from those who do, they say a bullet just makes em madder.