Will storing the 330s with safetys on vs storing unset, weaken the springs over the year? How do you guys store your connibears?

Dad, this topic has been in trappers minds forever it seems....if not doing any nuisance work I'd store them with springs unset.

The only time the safeties on my body-gripping traps are not set is when there is an animal in them. Been that way for 40 years and it works for me.

In your lifetime.....keeping the springs latched won't matter.

Thank you!!!!

Haha, classic conversation. It seems everyone’s got a “spring guy” and the consensus is…….yes, store your traps properly…….lol. Sprung or unsprung. Keep in mind that the spring weakens or breaks when worked. Compressing or uncompressing is when they’re worked. I flip the safety on and done, ready to treat, repair or store.
That being said, I had a wolf ram break while it was set. Maybe the cold snap at -45 a couple nights did something? But there is a big batch that we’re NFG too.

A properly designed spring will not lose its strength being compressed over time. A good spring will only lose strength with cycling between compression and being unloaded. So storing conibear traps with springs compressed or released at the end of season shouldn't affect them either way.

I guess I just had bad experiences back after the fur boom.
Lots of 220s and 330s I bought used went soft after taking the tension off???
Now to be fair I am NOT sure how long those traps were left laying around?
AND maybe the steel was a bit inferior back then...I don't know?
Remember vividly grabbing an already compressed spring trap from a milk crate box of Victor 330s.
Traps had some surface rust on them but were NOT pitted. The trapper who I bought them from
was well know and was retiring from trapping. I set that trap took safetys off and sprung it....it fired but far from what I was
used to. Grabbed a spring and easily set it very little resistance. Grabbed another one... same thing...ended up the whole box and two other full boxes
were soft???? All traps had been stored with springs compressed. Probably just bad luck but from that day on I release tension off my traps before storing.

A better question would be. Is there any decrease in BG performance when springs are stored compressed with the safeties on.

My answer (anecdotally) would be no, have done it that way for a long time with no noticeable effect. Rust is by far the worst culprit in spring degradation.

Ask a mechanical engineer the same question and they start talking about Young's modulus for steel . Shortly after which your eyes will glaze over and strong drink will be sought

I will bypass "Young's modulus" and go straight to the strong drink thank you. Probably an effect of having seen this topic come up so many times.

No kidding!

It would seem that in today’s world, that a simple Goggle search would give a person all the info about this subject they could stand, barring they separated the wheat from the chaff!

Tip #1, don’t ask a Mechanical Engr a metallurgical question!
Tip #2, don’t forget about the acids some use in their cleaning process! Could explain why some have no problem and some do!

I’ve always stored with springs compressed, no problems

I have never stored with springs compressed, and no problems. Some of my 330s are older than I am and still original springs. Would they still be good if they were stored compressed? I can't say, but I was told as a kid not to do so, and I've never had a problem, so see no reason to change. Not a big deal to me compress them on site, or the night before if I am wanting to save time. Nor do I find it a big deal to release all safeties for storage.

I asked Pete Askins (engineer with Victor) that question years ago at the FTA College. He said no problem storing them compressed.

I guess Peter is Victors spring guy. My spring guy said the same thing. Same with Marty’s. We all got a “spring guy”….lol

There it is, done.
This will never come up again. Glad that’s settled…….lol

You guys crack me up. Thanks for all the replies. I'll go with what ever works at the time and not worry about it. Great feedback.

Store them with one spring compressed and the other not. All your bases are now covered. You're welcome.

Then in twenty years come back here and tell us if one spring held up better than the other or not.

Oh, and make sure it is the same spring that you leave compressed each off season.

guy didnt have a fire did he?

For ADC work. I like mine compressed. Saves time in the field. Trap not necessarily set, just the springs. I use only Belisle traps. Only had a couple of springs snap over the years. Keep them painted and stored properly when not in use and your grandkids will use them.
Sarge