F&T's website says it is strongly recommended to trim the spring pins back if not 4 coiling these traps. Is this to avoid possible chain tangling on those long ends?

Yeppers

And they will tangle. You can always bend them in towards the center if you think you might want to 4 coil later.

I untangled some this evening that were tangled exactly like that. I had remembered reading about trimming the pins. Also wondered about bending them in. Think I'll give the bending a go.

I bender mine into each other where they’re touching. Figured that was better than cutting them off if I ever wanted to add coils.

Lol main reason I cut them off was so I wouldn't be tempted to four coil

This^^^^^^

Mark June came to our utk meet one year and he said he leaves them be. His reason was they helped stabilize the trap. The 550’s I run the pins are bent in by the coyote. It’s a rare occurrence when a chain gets caught up in the pin.