Finally going to set some rat traps tomorrow. Broke out my traps and have a few Victor I guess I call them pedal traps. When I go and set them, they stay set without the dog being latched, there stiff. Not sure what to do with them to get them to set nice and fire. Any suggestions. Wax, make spring holes bigger. Just not sure. Thanks

You happen to have a picture or two of them ?

Wow, I could see one being messed up, but all of the staying open without being latched......like Wolfie said we need pictures.

I am trying to visualize the trap and what is going on... the only time I have ever seen anything like I can visualize is one time saw some #1 LS that had been in a barn fire. All of the temper was completely gone out of the spring. You could open the jaws with no effort and the spring was like mush. Can't think of anything else it could be, without seeing a photo.

Garry-

They sound pretty rusty to me. I'd soak them in a bucket of white vinegar for a day or two them hose them off and see if they function correctly. If they do then maybe dip them in some thinned down exterior paint to stop further rusting. Also this link should help with trap terminology... https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5244975/trap-diagrams-for-beginners#Post5244975

What is holding them open? Are they binding on the jaws and frame or is the dog "arm" touching the jaws and holding them open?

Im thinking the same thing 160. The jaw must be going under the dog loop qnd that is holding them open. Easy fix if it is. But all of them?

We need some pictures. Or all you or going to get is a bunch of guesses.

I picked up a few Duke #0 LS's that would stay open with out latching. After messing around with them for an hour or so, discovered you could fix the problem by bending the frame by rapping it over the corner of my work bench.