I received my Montana order today.
Tomorrow I am going to baseplate these number 3s.

How does filing the notch increase or decrease the pan tension?

What's the recommended method for filing the notch?
As in how should it look when I am done?

Also have any of you had issues with the levers being bent, or the springs torquing the levers to far?
If so what's the best fix?
I am.not allowed to use 4 coil on land.

Here is my haul


Here you can see how torqued the levers are out of the box.



Here you can see the space between the lever eye and the cross frame. Seems to be 3/32nd.
Below are other images of the bent levers




Here is an unfortunate stress fracture on one of the #5 jaws. This I will Tig weld so it doesn't split.



So after seeing these images what do y'all expect I should do to straighten out the levers.


Thanks for the post
Ken

I've been playing with a dozen #3s, and also his #2 predator pros for about a year now, and the levers just don't stay straight, especially on the 4 coiled #3s. I don't think it matters honestly, I gave up trying to bend them back and the first time you set them off they are right back crooked. Seems to work fine.

All that I've had to do is bend the cross frame a bit to move pans up and down. Have not felt the need to adjust pan tension yet, have been happy with what they measured right out of the box after waxing.

John is sometimes on here, and often pipes up on threads about the Montana traps, hopefully he will here to. I'm sure he's busy though as ADC work is picking up with fall calves hitting the ground and fur starting to prime up.

Levers are not a problem, I usually bend them with a screw driver anyway to get the loose jaw flat on my 4 coiled #3’s. As for the notch I just make sure it’s squared up and shorten it a little. I run all mb 650 but bought a few Montana’s to try and they are a great coyote trap. Will buy more eventually.

Awesome good to know.

If the free jaw lays close to flat, I wouldn’t worry about the levers. Most guys bend em that way to get the free jaw down.

I own a couple hundred of em and have never filed the pan notch. No need to.

I agree with everything stated and will add this.......I always carry a file or a pocket knife when I go to set. Sometimes I get a wax build up in that notch on the trigger and the trap will not set. Have not had that problem since switching to FMJ.

Some of the traps I have set and lay very flat and look great. A fee of them set and look pretty mangled. The cross frame is straight but due to the lever being bent the loose jaw lays down quite a bit.
I'll upload some pics after I get done baseplated them

Can you flop the levers to the other side of the trap?

I don't have montanas but been through over ten dozen montgomeries.
After twisting the levers straight, and stopping dry firing them, the lever twist and other problems went away.
I don't dry fire any trap.

Based off of my dealings with these traps today I am convinced that the problem is a combination of the springs being strong and the levers being wider than the cross frame.

The same issue is not common on any of my other traps that have levers with a proper width.

But is it actually a problem? I can't say it has caused me any difficulties.

It looks bad, even if it doesn't effect the performance.
If the lever eye were the same width as the cross frame it wouldn't bend so much

I haven't set any yet so I can stay either way how it will effect the performance.
We will see.

Are these brand new traps? Seems like a lot of work to put into a trap unless you got them for free.

If the lever eye was narrower, the levers wouldn’t come up as high.

And that is a problem.

I run 350+ of this style of trap, I assure you, they’re one of the easiest to tune (once you know the tricks) and KEEP tuned catch after catch, and this twisted lever thing is a non-issue.

Yes brand new..
I was wanting to add the baseplates just to keep me busy.
Today I completed the baseplates and chain stakes, and also added a Tig bead to the insides of my #5s for a small(3/64th) offset.

I have to say that after playing with the traps a bit that I like them.more and more. Nearly all of them have this bent lever issue and they all fire very well.
I only had to tune 1 or 2 of the pans to her the proper connection be with the jaw.
The rest fired without any issues.

If they stay tuned catch after catch this is a huge blessing.
We will see they seem great for a coyote specific trap. In time I may take a flap disk to the welded lugs to smooth all of the corners.

Other than that they are ready to clean and wax.

Iv'e ran a dozen for 2 years now, bottom line I've killed every coyote thats stepped on the pan. Lamed, baseplated with Wolfies bent nail trick and 4 coiled. Don't think the 4 coils are needed if you don't have freeze thaw nightmares.
You may want to debure the offset lugs to save your fangers and just in case you don't get the perfect hold. I think I had 185 in that dozen including mods. Love the huge trash gap on the offsets!

In my world there isn't a trap ready out of the box! But I want max performance..

Thanks Gary,
I can see some stitches in the future if one gets their finger caught in those lugs. The trash gap is great.