hello all i recently purchased some new bridger 155 or 150s can't really tell. when I go to set them I can compress the springs and get the safety off however when I go to spread the jaws to set" the trap it will not open far enough to get the dog onto the other side. and if I force the jaws open so I can set" it once the trap is fired the hinge point becomes to large for me to recompress the springs from me forcing the jaws open its almost like the eyes of the springs are too small with the forced open configuration. any tips or sulotions would be greatly appreciated

I have a free one from MTP. Spend enough, get something free. It is the same way. Small spring eyes and short springs. Unuseable. Free though.

I'd contact MTP and get a refund. Nothing worse than fighting a trap. I bought some Bridger 330s and they're almost impossible to get set. I should have sent them back, but didn't. Buy Belisles and be done with it.

Duke makes nice conis, too. I love some bridger traps, but thier conis have problems.

Yep been that way for a long time and I bet is the number one complaint about their traps

Only solution I have come up with shy of buying springs for the same size dukes is to bend the safety so it effectively shortens the safety so the springs are more compressed.

Did you try contacting Bridger?

Junk traps. Send them back.

Buy Dukes for the regular conibear size trap, they work. I had several sizes of bridgers over the year = no go.......jk

Welcome to the joys of owning bridgers. An otherwise good trap ruined by their insistence on keeping those small eyes.

Total wrong approach to get a full closure jaw. A few bends of the jaw frame to fill out a regular spring works for everyone else.

I love the service and almost everything else from MTP but I won't own a bridger body gripper.

They're all like that. the way the spring eyes were designed makes them too small
and harder than (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) to set without a struggle.

I bought several dozen when they 1st came out and sold them quick.

They are poorly designed, over seas produced, JUNK !!!

And I am being generously kind in my assessment.

I have several of those I got as freebies over the years with MTP orders. They set really nice compared to the Bridger 120s. I've got a couple dozen of the 120s I bought and use for marten. They are a pain to set but get much easier after they are used a few times. Not easy compared to other brands, but easy compared to new Bridgers. Very strong little traps and they work well once set, but they are a pain to set and the safeties are a little too long, as you noticed. As others have said, the biggest complaint about Bridger traps, period.

This is the first time I have heard someone complain specifically about the 150/155s, probably because most people are like me and have already had/tried their 120s and in comparison the 150/155s are a breeze to set.

I have older Bridger 330's and I love them. Have caught beaver by the foot and tail. Don't really have a hard time setting them.

I love Bridger coils, I hate Bridger body grips.
I feel your pain .
Jim

Don't know about all the bridger coni's but yah 155's suck ordered a doz. years ago sent them back spring eye wouldn't go over the jaw hinge and the short powerful spring was a Pita anyway emailed mtp never got an answer The dukes are good the vic/northwoods are excellent but they can't get steel to make them Sorry to hear that issue hasn't been resolved

Don't know about all the bridger coni's but yah 155's suck ordered a doz. years ago sent them back spring eye wouldn't go over the jaw hinge and the short powerful spring was a Pita anyway emailed mtp never got an answer The dukes are good the vic/northwoods are excellent but they can't get steel to make them Sorry to hear that issue hasn't been resolved

my experience....bridger 120 are absolute junk, but I love the 330, although I need a setter for them

Thank you all for the input, unfortunately, they were new old stock found at a garage sale and were what I thought was a great price, now I know it was too good to be true! i ill try shortening the safety in the morning and go from there it sounds like I will be better off trying to off load them asap and try again with a different brand.

I bought four dozen Bridger 120 magnums many years ago at the Owatonna NTA convention.

I had exactly the same problem. The issue is that at the factory they forgot to put the 10 degree bend on all the eyes on the springs.

I went to a lot of trouble putting the bend in the spring, also the dogs were not cut right, I had to file the all the dogs also. It was not worth it, and they never really did work quite right. I got no satisfaction from the seller, they said to me, "all traps need to be worked over a bit". I've never bought a Bridger since.

They are defective. Save yourself a lot of headache; return the traps.

Bridger < Duke.

And the Dukes are cheaper!