Different conibear trigger system

Not too familiar with 330's, but I recently traded for several that have a trigger set up I've never seen before. These traps are from the '80's but have never been put out. Has anyone had any experience or seen triggers like these? Also on the corners of the trap in the third picture there are little covers with a cotter pin. What are they? I asked this question on the Strictly trapping forum, but there's more activity over here.

Never saw that before and don't understand what I can see.

wishbone trigger i think

There was nothing good about that idea Victor had out for a short time. I would replace the wishbone trigger rather than use it. They are known for being gone when you go to reset the trap. Open the cotter pin up so that trap isn't useless when it falls out on you too.

Wishbone Trigger with a cotter pin Safety release on one corner.

Back in the 70s when ATCo first made the conibear traps with the humped corners, this was the set up on the larger traps - 220 and 330. 280s were being made yet. This system proved to be very unpopular with trappers and only lasted a year or two in production. Then they went to the trigger system and corners you see on today’s traps.

The standing joke about the wishbone Trigger is that it was the trigger you wished was there!! It had a tendency to fly off the traps at the most inopportune time and resulted in lost catches.

You might try to sell them to a collector before you start switching out triggers and using them.

Any collector value to this kind of trap? I'm not much of water trapper.

To the right collector, it might have some value. Maybe as high as $25.00. The trap appears to be in very good condition and it is all original. Many of those traps got modified by Trappers because they didn’t like the new features.

You might have to search awhile to find a buyer but I’m sure there are some body trap collectors out there.

Wishbone AKA the fly "away trigger" nothing like hiking a few miles in the winter chopping a hole in the ice and setting off a trap to have the trigger fly off. The other filler part is a safety so allow the release of the spring if you get caught in the trap. Pull the cotter pins and slide the spacer off and pop the spring off of the frame.

I would either replace the trigger or put a wire from one of the long wires over the jaw to the V part to help keep it on the trap.

Thanks wissmiss. Maybe I'll put them on the trap shed to see if there's anyone here that would be interested. I'd let them go for less than $25

Wissmiss would know far better than me but my understanding was those triggers were a REPLACEMENT meant to be carried with the trapper in the field. If the original trigger was broken due to a catch these triggers could be put on with a pair of pliers instead of having to replace the whole trap.

I’ve not heard that but I suppose it could be true.

I do know that the wishbone triggers were factory original on larger conibear traps for at least the first year the humped corner traps were in production. They were listed as Series 2 traps. 220-2 and 330-2

I will look through some old advertising literature to see if what 160user says is true.

I remember the pitch...complete with wishbone trigger. Like that was a good thing. 80’s vintage I believe

That makes sense. But these traps have never been set. Some still have the price tag on them. So I can't think they're not original.

Yep they came with those triggers from the factory they did not fly with the trappers. If they were sold to be changeable I don't remember them ever being offered by dealers back then unless they were listed in the general parts listings. Good intentions but a bad idea all around.

Don’t do anything to the trap. Leave it just the way it is. Do NOT clean it. Leave the original price tag on the trap. That will enhance the value to a potential buyer.

When pricing them to sell, remember 330 conibear are not cheap to ship.

I know north woods marketed a similar field replacement trigger system. I have a dozen of them new in the package somewhere still on the cardboard package. These replacements were a great idea just poorly designed.

I had got some used 160 with the wishbones and I replace them all with regular triggers. and did not look back .

I got a bunch of Wishbone triggers off of Ebay for a song, they are the ticket for field replacements on 110s. 4 way triggering and just hairy enough for mink. I always carry a few on me. I suppose you could wrap some fine wire around them to keep them from flying off.

You can make them into users with a bolt on wire trigger and standard dogs.
Jim

I had them before, you just crimp them on. It was a flat one piece of wide steel- good for 'rats, not so much for mink. Kind of like a popsicle stick hanging down.