Replacing 1 offset jaw with 1 regular jaw to make the offset only 1/8" instead of 1/4" Does anyone do this on their Bridger #2 or #3 or duke #2 square jaw offsets?

Why don't you see if you can file or grind down the lugs that create the offset.You probably only have to take off 1/16" off a lug,to get the gap you want.

Ihave seen this done. Believe it was Jim Spencer that did that.

If a feller bought equal numbers of regular jaw and off set jaw traps, he'd have all the parts needed.

I'd likely hit them with a grinder, sorta what Taximan said, except I don't think those are lug offsets. Be cutting the shoulder of the offset, maybe.

A 1\8" offset does nothing,I'd just get regular jaws and be done with it.

In Oklahoma it would make it legal, plain jaw isn't. Maybe other locations where any offset is an offset.
But, overall I can see no advantage to an offset if it is not a legal requirement. The argument that it lets the levers go higher is just an argument that the levers or jaws are not designed well. A bigger/longer lever, a different jaw ramp profile..

tjm is correct. In simplest terms OK regs state that any trap powered by more than one spring must have offset jaws. But there is no legal qualification for how much of a gap... So if a business card can be slipped between the jaws then the trap is legal.

On a whim I purchased a handful of Bridger 1.5 coils, half of them regular jaw, half offset. I swapped out jaws on all the traps. Now all the traps have the power jaw offset and the loose jaw plain...

Do they work? Probably... but with coon prices in the crapper I haven't bothered to set them.

Except for beaver, I wouldn't bother with doing it on traps for larger species, just use factory offset traps. For beaver I use regular jaws and put a bubble weld in each corner and file the weld down... There is still a gap that meets the legal requirement of being offset. But for all intents and purposes they aren't really offset jaws.

I wouldn't bother with using offset jaws EVER if I weren't legally required to do so.

Mike

The OP is from Indiana.

Yes, in Indiana we are required a 1/8" offset for any trap that has a inside jaw spread over 5 3/4" or jaw posts are over 5 3/4" apart on dry land. So Duke 2 and under okay, Duke 3 and up need offset. Stupid law.

I will say that 1/4" offset wouldn't bother me but I'm not trying to catch coon.I think my taps are mostly about 5/16",meaning fox,coyote,cat traps.

Like I said,if I wanted to get down to 1/8",I'd reduce the lugs or whatever you want to call that section that holds the offset at it's given spacing.One hand setters are a great help when you do this kind of work.

Trust me... You guys don't hold the monopoly on dumb trapping laws. Lol

Mike

Just what I thought.