What does the N stand for?

Newhouse!

When a regular #3 or #4 Victor long spring trap had newhouse jaws installed at the factory they were designated as 3n-4n, and sold that way.

Learn something new every day.

I’m sure that’s the way it was, but , on any of the 3Ns that I ever used, the Springs were a “step-up” from a regular Victor.

I think they got the Newhouse chain set up also

A true 3N Victor double long has cast slightly offset jaws and a long (30 inches) twist link chain with a large swivel on the end. Exact same springs as a regular #3 Victor double long. Not a beefed up spring.

First put on the market in the early 1940s, it was originally only available to government trappers. They complained that the price of Newhouse traps, which they really liked, had gotten too high. They wanted a trap that was better than a normal #3 but had Newhouse features. Thus the 3N was born.

By the 1960s that trap had been added to the regular production line and was available to any one.

From mid-1920s to early 1930s, the USBBS-PARC (ATC's largest customer) shifted much attention from wolf hotspots to more broad control of coyotes. This called for familiar Newhouse quality on a more affordable Victor frame. In development stages, the 3N was referred to by USDA Control Methods Research Laboratory as the "Victor 3- new". This was abbreviated in field notes and communications to just "3-N" and eventually "3N". First offered 1936-37, it remained the same through end of production in late 1980s and is said to have caught more coyotes than any other single trap (all brands). Soon afterward the next larger version, the 4N, came out with same configuration which continued through 1962 but never achieved the popularity of the 3N. Both were fitted with malleable cast hook-in jaws and popular kinkless chain with swivel.

However, in my numerous interviews with gov't trappers, many misinterpreted the N designation to represent "Newhouse" version of a Victor trap. Over the years, this assumption spread as a common way to separate these traps from regular V #3 in descriptions.

Learn something new all the time!

Visual aid - #3 with the dog knot stake attached.

You are a wealth of information, but somewhere along the line they started using higher caliber springs on the 3Ns. I have one of what I consider the last ATC NOS 3N models made, stamped offset jaws, same twist link chain with swivel, but the springs are far heavier duty. I have several NOS #3 DLS Victor traps and there is no comparison to the spring power. These springs feel much more like #4 springs on a #3 trap, but if you measure and compare they are indeed #3 springs. I also have another 2 dozen #3 DLS Victor that are all in excellent condition, no comparison of any of the springs to this late model 3N I have. My 3N is also in NOS condition, I do not know where I even bought it from, but last year I went on a spree and got it sometime then.

Wow, as a newbie trapper you sure can school the old school. How bout some pics of your traps and you can stay out of them, just the traps.

I can not say I ever remember seeing a trap with stamped jaws being called a 3n or 4n. From what I remember they had cast jaws. I do see to remember a off set stamped jaw trap with it seems like the same chain as a 3n. But I never heard it being called a 3n.

years back i picked up a box of victor #3 double longs at a convention. new in factory box. they had stamped offset jaws and kinkless chain, but just standard swivels, not the cast #3-N type swivels. they were stamped victor #3, not 3-N. we showed them to a dealer/collector there, and he'd never seen them before.

The pans on Victor 3N and 4N traps were NEVER stamped 3N or 4N. Just stamped 3 or 4, like a normal long spring Victor Trap.

If you look at literature from ATCo , their price list for parts shows the same inventory number for pans for regular #3 double long and #3N double long. Exact same part.

miss nancy,,was there ever a stamped jaw, offset, #3 double long with kinkless chain that youre aware of? i seem to recall something being stamped on the factory box, with a rubber stamp, but cant recall what it said.

i had a much of these a few years back , one guys bought them all, probably about 100

Because of their wide availability and popularity with USF&WS, 3Ns were often used in gov’t research projects leaving a variety of special order modifications to be found. Beginning in late 1960s, focus was on reducing foot injuries and eliminating non-target catches. Padded jaws were fast to enter experimental trials but the Woodstream pads & retainer clips wouldn’t fit standard 3N malleable cast jaws. To accommodate this, Woodstream made a 3N with regular stamped out steel jaws they called the 3NR. When both traps were used in comparable research studies, they were listed under methods & techniques as 3NM (malleable) and 3NR (regular) from that point forward. All these pans only had a "3" on them.

that probably explains my #3's with stamped offset jaws and kinkless chain. thanks for this info.

Well there is 3NR after all, but they definitely had stronger springs, that was my only point in bringing the thread back up. It is possible too but I cant believe we dont have factory data that tells us all of this. Did Woodstream pass all that to the new owners of Oneida Victor? Butera, if so I will put pressure on him for the data.