Anyone using them? The other thread on the modded #3n's got me thinking. Does anyone use these with the original dog/pan set up?

I have. I Miles triggered them for pan tension and after setting them I would put a few drops of wax from a paraffin candle on both sides of the pan post to take out the wobble

And then I discovered PIT pans

How were your catches? I'd imagine a lot of toe catches? I need to look into the miles trigger.

The deeper the notch for the Miles trigger the more tension
But you can probably overdo it

I just looked into it. Definitely a bigger possibility to ruin it than when nightlatching. I'll look into getting more pit pans

Not with the right jewelers file
And if you don't like it you can turn it into a nite latch

Andrew like wet dog mentioned we all used these traps both un moded and moded....simple adjust meant is to bend the dog tip up. This decreases pan wobble and increase tension.
Changing out the chain and added better swivels helps too.
Go to the Trap Shed and look what Boone did to his traps.

I have about 3 dozen with the original dog and pan. Only thing I’ve done is night latch them and level the pans out. Every catch I’ve made has been full pad catches. Have yet to have any pullouts or toe catches. As MChewk said, add better hardware. I use #3 chain and 3 crunch proofs on 18” of chain

I’ve used them stock, like others have said I bend the dog tip up to add extra tension and I have no problem

I appreciate the info everyone. I have several of the original twist link chains off 3n’s and was planning on using those with the addition of a crunch proof thrown in there. They’ll be base plated too. Those big swivels that came on the 3ns are stout. I think I’ll keep those and start with bending up the dog

You can putz around with them and cut miles triggers or night latches and bend dogs, wrap wire through the pan eye to take up slop, I used to fart around with all that.

Than I saw the light. Bite the bullet and put a PIT pan on them and be done with it.

They’re not a cheap upgrade but they make them twice the trap.

Just ordered a few of the step down pit pans from the snare shop.

I had a few 3 and 4 long spring. I made the change to Miles triggers, easy really but the thing that made them have next to no pan wobble was using a hydraulic press to close the pinch connection. Done slowly until there is no wobble but the pan moves still with the MT they were rock solid with nice tension.

Exactly.

I have a couple of dozen N0. 3 DLS and am going to upgrade with the PITs this winter. I never use them because of the reasons mentioned above.

Good info. Thank you.

If you have no way of tensioning the pan, use a full pan notch and not a hair trigger or you will get toe catches. Lost my first coyote triple after someone advised me to file the notches short on my 3 dls.

I have several #3 dbl longs and I still run them for coyotes and cats. I removed the spring clevis where chain attached and I center mounted my chains. Chains all replaced with good twist link welded chain and I have crunch proof swivels one at trap, one mid chain, and one on end of chain. I shortened chains to about 15 inches total including swivels. My dog and pan triggers are filed a short throw to fire and I squeezed the dog eye a bit to take the slop out.
I like my longs now for blind trail sets. Seem to get solid catches with good weight commits. They don’t know what’s under their feet until it’s too late.
Jim

Would you say the original twist link that came on the old Victors quality?

I never liked the stock victor twin loop chain. Probably will work just fine for holding whatever but I swapped all of my twin loop stock chains out for welded twist link. Straight link welded is good replacement upgrade too.

Mine all look like the chain on these #2 longs in following pic. My #3 longs are all set up exact same way. Most of my double longs have been serving coyote duty for well over 40 years and will do their work again this winter again.


Here is how I have my dog and pans filed. All original dogs and pans. Sometimes I have to replace dogs, coyotes can be a little hard on them over time. But I’m cheap and use what I have or what costs the least to replace. I don’t get very many toe catches.

Awesome stuff jab. I need to correct myself. I mean the original twist link chain, not twin loop

I've used them some, running original pan and dog works fine, just more fiddly to tune. Yes the PIT pans are a nice, no hassle system and an easy upgrade. But the original pans and dogs have caught lots of coyotes over the years. Just bend dogs to get the pan level and the desired pan tension. You can squeeze the pan connection tighter with vice grips if it is too wobbly, but honestly with some pan tension that pan doesn't usually wobble once it is set unless it is real bad or your notch or dog aren't level. A lot of these old traps have rough uneven surfaces on the top of their dogs, leveling that with a file and the pan notch will do wonders for both wobble and the pan staying centered. The original twist link chain isn't bad, but if you have twin loop I would replace it, especially considering how old it is. Center swiveling will reduce foot damage, if you are doing extended checks or dealing with any nontargets I would definetely do it.

Bearcat, that’s some valuable info. Thank you. I plan to baseplate them as some of them have the frames bowed. Some of these 3n’s have government stamps on the bottom. Figured they aren’t worth much and would better used than sold. The old trappers sure like their long chains. Probably due to using the old dog knot stakes I’d assume.

Yep every bit twice the trap.

I’m with Boone also. Step downs & Stainless rod dogs. Base plate, Number 3 USA Chain.

Yes

For Victors I prefer the pit set up. I have used them original with an underpan spring. For Newhouses I like keeping them original except just adding an LPC under pan spring for the tension. Sometimes I will change out the dog on the Newhouses with a Bob Custer dog

Wild Rag, how do you re-shape that dog to fit a Newhouse pan notch? it must take some intense grinding...
I have never installed the underpan spring on any trap...tough to do?

MChewk, I put the dog in a vice and use a hammer to bend the dog. To get it to fit in the pan I cut the dog a touch long with cutoff wheel. I then hand file to get the angle in the dog to fit up to the Newhouse pan. If you’re wanting to put the under pan springs in from LPC, you can either replace the pan post with lpc pan post and the under pan springs will life right in. If not you can cut the spring and use a little bitty brass bolt and nut to hold the underpan spring in place. If it’s an old new house under pan spring you can just bend the tabs over the base plate. I will try to pm u some pics

Thanks good info!

I probably don't even come close to what others on here catch, but all I use is long springs and have for since I first started a long time ago. 99% of my traps are Victor with stock pan and dog. It work for them back in the day and works the same now IMO. I use the Miles system and I also will sometimes take a small soft tip off of a tree branch and bend it in a V and place it under the pan, it gives pan tension and depending on how much you want you adjust how large of piece you use. Can also bend the dog up into the pan notch which will also provide some tension.