Bullet Proof by General, reviewing a new, unique snus can for your arsenal!

Greetings Snustopians!

Well folks, it’s the beginning of 2010 and with the New Year comes some great new products from the different snus manufacturers in Sweden. We, as snus users, typically think of fall when we hear about a new snus flavor coming out and we would be correct if Bullet Proof by General was a new snus flavor by Swedish Match but, this is not the case here. Bullet Proof is actually a snus can, a rather special snus can, and has a pretty unique story behind it. So, let’s begin our tour thru this new container to keep your favorite snus in, Bullet Proof by General!


If you’ve read “Snus Accessories 101”, you’ll remember that there are basically 2 different manufacturers of snus cans, Icetool and Slimcase, but now there’s another player on the market, Swedish Match with the recent edition of Bullet Proof by General. So how did the largest manufacturer of Swedish snus on the planet get into the can making business, you ask? The Swedish Military asked them to! Now, you have to understand one thing; Swedish Match doesn’t actually produce the cans, they came up with the initial concept and a manufacturer that supplies the Swedish Military with the same Aluminum Alloy produced the can for Swedish Match. “But Snus Guy, why would the military ask Swedish Match to make cans for them?” I’m glad you asked that question and the answer provides even more mystique to Bullet Proof!

As you already know, snus is very popular in Sweden and among military personnel, it has pretty much the same following as Skoal and Cope does with the American military. In the latter part of 2009, Swedish military officials asked Swedish Match to come up with a “Special Edition” snus that they could present to their personnel as gifts. What Swedish Match did was create a can that would, not only be a Limited Edition but, be a can that would represent, in my opinion, what the Swedish Military, or any military for that matter, was. The Bullet Proof by General can does just that!

The can is made of the same Aluminum alloy that’s used in other military applications but, with a twist! Not only does the can represent the mantra that militaries, in general, strive for, it also can stop a bullet! “Snus guy, explain how an Aluminum can can stop a bullet! Isn’t it just a marketing ploy?” well, here’s where we need to delve a bit deeper into the construction of the can in order to not only dispel all the rumors flying around other websites about the bullet proof claim being just advertising hula balloo and the fact that Bullet Proof by Swedish Match can actually stop a bullet.

First off, the lid and the body of the can are made of the same Aluminum alloy but, they are different thicknesses. The lid is made from a slightly thinner piece of alloy than the body and therefore lighter. Both the lid and the body are the same color but it’s the bottom of the can that we really need to take a look at. In the bottom of the can there is an Aluminum alloy puck that’s not been colored. Swedish Match states that the bottom of the can is 2 mm thick with the majority of this measurement coming from the puck. While it is made from the same alloy that the rest of the can is made from, it’s the secret of the “Bullet Proof” claim.

The manufacturer of Bullet Proof by General, for Swedish Match, has done extensive testing on the can by shooting it with a Submachine Gun that was the weapon of choice by the U.S. Navy SEAL’s back in the 1960’s, the Swedish K. The Swedish K uses 9 mm ammunition that has a steel jacketed bullet with a lead core and a muzzle speed of 420 mps (approx. 1378 fps). The results that came out of this testing show that the Bullet Proof by General can did indeed stop the round! Although I didn’t actually witness this testing, by dissecting the can’s bottom you can see that the additional puck of Aluminum alloy in the bottom does play a crucial role in stopping the 9 mm round! But know this; while the can is indeed “bullet proof”, it was not intended to be used as a replacement for the bullet proof vests being currently used and Swedish Match encourages responsible use of all firearms! Ok, I had to throw that last bit in because we in Snustopia also advocate for the responsible use of firearms by all Snustopians so, no shooting Bullet Proof by General cans in the middle of Skruf Square! Well, what are the benefits of having a snus can that’s bullet proof have? Let’s take a look!

For one, it’s actually a pretty cool looking can! With its brushed, matte black Aluminum color with the Bullet Proof name and General logo on a black label that’s placed on the lid, it’s a definite conversation starter when you place it on the bar or table. If you’re like me, I keep my snus in the fridge as often as possible as well as my collection of metal snus cans. I put Bullet Proof, along with the General Onyx it came with, in the fridge overnight and it did well to extend the coldness of the Onyx for just as long as the Stainless ones did. But, there are some drawbacks with carrying Bullet Proof around with you throughout the day and the first one is weight.

While Aluminum alloys are much lighter than steel, you would think that Bullet Proof by General would be substantially lighter than say, the Icetool can but it’s actually heavier. With being bullet proof there is a bit of additional weight and the 2 mm thickness of the bottom of the can adds to the overall weight of Bullet Proof, bringing up to the same weight as the stainless steel cans. This makes it a bit awkward to carry in a jacket or suit pocket but in the front pocket of a pair of jeans, it’s not as bad. While the Aluminum alloy does well to keep the cold in a bit longer, it also has another quality that the stainless steel cans have, heat transfer!

Carrying a metal snus can in the front pocket of your jeans brings it closer to your body and will transfer the heat from your body to its self, causing the snus to get warm. It’s nothing to be concerned about, but I like my snus cool! My recommendation for carrying the Bullet Proof by General can is to keep it in your jacket pocket or a backpack or briefcase. What I do with my can is basically carry it in my jacket pocket when I’m out and about in Snustopia or, it resides on my desk for the entire world to see.

In the end, the Swedish Military was pretty impressed with the look, feel and what Bullet Proof by General represented that they ordered 600 to be made so they could be given as gifts to their elite personnel. We here at Snustopia received one of these limited edition cans which Swedish Match has said would be the last but, there are now rumors that they will produce more of these unique cans so them can be sold to the general public. While Swedish Match has not officially announced this, we will continue to watch and when Bullet Proof by General does become available, you can bet we’ll let all Snustopians know. When you can buy it, the best place to get it will be Snustopia’s only place for Swedish snus, The Northerner!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour thru Bullet Proof by General fun and informative. I look forward to all your questions and suggestions and will try to answer them as soon as I can! So, until our next review Snustopians, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

Acknowledgements:

Snustopia.com would like to thank all the great folks at Swedish Match for providing me with a sample of Bullet Proof by General and the information on testing for this review!