Gunchute

Gunchute by Iczer

This stocky barreled pistol uses a burst of compressed air to fire it's payload 4 feet before an attached cord causes it to break apart and unfurl. What unfurls is an aluminum composite frame that creates a 6x2 foot curved structure supporting a superlight fibrous canopy.

When unfurled, the canopy acts as as an impromptu glider. While not useful for controlled flight, the quick release nature makes it an invaluable rapid deploy descending tool. The gunchute comes with a clasp to attach to a harness and a wrist strap. Opening one of these during a fall can cause the sudden jerk to wrest the chute out of the users hand. Firing the gunchute at a person causes (assuming they are within 6 or so feet) 2D4 damage, and the rapidly expanding frame can cause sufficient distraction to allow an escape. The chute is difficult to wrangle back into position in the field (can take 2-4 minutes. A lifetime in an emergency situation) so is designed to be a single fire and forget device. The gun portion detaches from the chute, and the one use compressed air cartridge is integral to the chute portion. After detaching, a simple reload is all that is required to be good to go.