Modifying Conibears

I have a few dozen duke 330's that i want to fully modify. I want to add kill bars, replace the jaw rivets with bolt&nut and anything else you guys would advise. My question is what size lock nut and bolt should i use and what size round bar for the kill bars?

If anyone has pics of how they go about fastening the kill bars to the trap would be awsome!

Any pics of modified conibears would be appreciated!

NC, I just bought some of these a couple weeks ago. I'm sure they will work fine, but the first thing I noticed was those rivets.

Last time I checked, the duke 330s did not swivels. I’m not sure if they’ve changed that, but if not I would add some.

I don't think adding kill bars to a trap not designed for them is a good idea.It may increase the clamping force,depending on the springs design and strength,but it will likely slow the trap down and decrease the striking force.This could lead to a more inefficient trap than the one you started with.
If you want a full closure trap,best to buy one designed that way and tested for performance.
Some mods that can improve a bodygrips performance is putting on a belisle trigger and dog and tuning,adding a swivel and waxing the trap.

Leave them as they are. I have lost track of how many beaver and otter I have caught In Duke 330s .

If your trapping cigarette papers you would probably have to have a trap with full jaw closing. But since most beaver are about 5" thick I see no need.

But If you feel the need just do one and see how It works out for you.

I haven’t used very many duke 330s but when I take dead beaver out of them I’ve never thought to myself that I should have modified it or used a different trap. Just a few days ago I had a 60 pounder get in one right after I set it. I’m pretty sure the short struggle was just nerve reaction. That beaver was out cold instantly.

I have Bridger and Dukes and just add cable to extend them to tie off and got beaver and otter and rats in them.I did not do anything to the traps otherwise. I cold dip my in a dip I got years ago from the one I use to sell to and buy traps from.This season I got a otter in the Duke ,it did not have much of mark on the flesh side.That trap have strong springs.

I've did exactly what your wanting to do .SURE it makes the trap look awesome. But I cant say that it was totally needed other then now it can a will hold a rat by the tail. Which is why I decided to do it in the first place! Got tired of finding snapped empty traps! Not being abel to read sign under water I wanted to get to the bottom of this problem. I soon found out rats are the biggest part of this problem. FYI as stated it can and does slow them down. so if your going to do this id recommend adding new springs as well. as far as material I used 5/16 cold roll that I shaped to fit then welded it all on. I've yet to catch a otter in that trap to see how it performs.Otters will prove to you how fast or slow a trap really is! Honestly the time and money it takes makes belizes a cheap investment. Another thing if you order new springs be sure and get duke springs!Like a dipstick, I just ordered 330 springs got those ridiculous tiny spring hole bridger springs! man I hate those things

The most important thing you can do to your BGs Is to make some trigger adjustments. The less trigger movement before the trap Is sprung Is very Important In making good clean catches. To much trigger movement will result In to many hip catches.

I held a 50 pound beaver by the rear foot in a straight out of the box Duke 330 a couple weeks ago. It was held fast and not going anywhere. Everything else I caught in that trap was a normal catch so I don't believe it was a trigger issue, I just think that beaver somehow hit the trap sideways. Only mods I make to them is add a teardrop ring, a swivel, a few links of straight link chain and a spilt ring as I anchor all my bidygrips with extension cables. The dog and trigger usually needs a little work to make the trap fire quicker, important on otter, beaver normally get wacked behind the ears or suitcased regardless.

First thing I do is cut factory chain off, I use a small chunk of chain and go threw spring 0 end than a swivel to 1/8" cable 30" long and tie of end. And twist the trigger wires together a couple time. And treat them.

Have you done what Paul has in the Basic Sets Forum?...with the dog?
I also reduce the swing of the trigger by widening the yoke by putting yoke bottom in vise and tapping down with a nail/hammer (photo from another t-man guy, Joel?)
Then I cut off the chain because I want to attach it so the trigger is out or in depending on the situation and may need to anchor better on 1 side than the other.
My 2 ft chains with swivel added in 1st 3" are attached with a 1/4" quick snap (carabiner) after my cable extension gets anchored.

...in addition to my above post, I have found NO reason to do all you are thinking.
I trapped beavers full time for 6 yrs doing ADC work, using Duke 330's, and when a beaver hit that trigger, it was waiting for me

Getting rid of all that trigger slop assures a quick closure behind the head.

If ya want kill bars, bring your traps to our convention and I'll do it for ya, then ship them to ya before season...using same diameter as jaws.

Duke 330s work fine for me with no mods.

I agree the only reason I did was it was a junker a guy was going to toss! The jaws had rusted bad enough they were weak and bent so I straighten them then to insure they wouldn't bend again kill bars were added. but I see no reason to do it again to a perfect trap. but as I stated it will hold a rat by the tail now.. performance of a belize with half the cost. If I was to do any mods now it would be a spot of weld to hold the trigger assembly in the middle like the 660s or add better safeties! duke safeties are sloppier then bbq ribs!But you get what you pay for

Whats the best aftermarket safties? I have a belisles but i have a few old dukes that i wanted to mod

Wrap 14 or 16 ga wire around the factory safety catches so they act like Belisle and stay in place.

John can you please post a pic of that? Or are you referring to making belise type safeties and adding them to dukes?

On the topic of coni modifications... where would one recommend adding a swivel? I can think of ways in which they'd bind up on either end. Not sure if I can really justify adding 2 swivels to every one of my 330s/220s. Would center of the chain be best? Hope my asking on this thread is ok!

one at the trap and one at the anchor point has served me well using 10-8' of 1/8" cable

I don't use any swivels on a BG. I have 8' of cable on all my traps and I feel that this will give me all the swiveling action I need. I've caught a few beaver and otter over the years and It hasn't been a problem yet.

NC J. Heath,

Kill bars on a Conibear..... Where are they located and how do they work?

40 years ago I belonged to the Canadian Trappers Association, and with the membership was a great notebook they sent loaded with sets and trap mods for all the traps. In it were plans for a jig that you would clamp in your vice, along with one jaw of you 330. You would bend the jaw one way and the opposite jaw the other way, so they overlapped when closed.

Now this was 42 years ago, way before Belises were envisioned, but would this serve the same purpose of a kill bar?

I don't know if it's legal for me to post on this site (copyright), but if this is what you're looking for, I could email it to you.

Yes that would also work

I run cable on my 330 size traps. Cut off the chain and put 4 inches or so of good quality #2 chain through a spring eye and fasten it with a j hook and swivel. Run ya cable through the open end of the swivel and fasten with a ferrule. Cut the cable to desired length and put a snare swivel on the other end. You can the attach that to most anything for an anchor.

Zim

It is on Mr Heaths OTHER thread by the same title over in Trapper Talk.

not IME, and otter needs swivels close to the trap...if I add 1, it is in the first few inches of chain.

Why so much cable, Beav? I trap under the ice and I want to keep the animal on a short leash so it can't tangle itself up in a log I can't retrieve it from.

Well I'm a smart beaver trapper I don't trap through the Ice. LOL
With 8 feet of cable I can hook up just about anywhere.

Hard to argue with that.

I had a hard time finding water deep enough to put traps in yesterday. I scout my flowages prior to the season for just that reason but I was hitting muddy bottom with my chainsaw. See the curvature in the blocks of ice I cut out? Toward the clear end of the blocks, that's the bottom side of the ice. The only thing I can think of that would account for that is a run.

Good picture Posco

Thanks, Larry. I have a couple sets that have been soaking for a few days. I'll check them tomorrow and post up pics if I connect.

NC J Heath, The Sauvageau or " Savage " body grip trap has the striker bars made on it. They are Canadian built, and are the Cadillac of body grip traps, in my humble opinion. The next is the Belisle with the " Canadian bend ". Both traps close completely, have very strong springs, and tight rivets. Years ago I bought a dozen Montgomery 600 body grip traps that had the Canadian bend, and closed completely, the only American trap that came close to a Belisle. Unfortunately the 600 is not made any more, it was the size of a 280, and deadly on otter, and beaver. Unless you like to tinker, I would save up and buy a dozen of the Savage #440 standard body grips, they are 11"X 11" inside and are, as of this posting, roughly $ 350.00 a dozen or a little less, but well worth the investment. I plan to get some this Fall, I already have a dozen of the Belisle 280`s and really like them.

I add a swivel at the spring eye buy wrapping #2 chain thru the spring eye and attaching a universal swivel to both chain ends with a J hook from the swivel. Then 3 feet of the same chain to another universal for the anchor attachment. I killed a bunch with the 280 and 330 bridger mags that already have full jaw closer. Caught many rats and mink by the tail with full jaw closure . By all means adjust the trigger travel too. Makes a huge difference on all fur.

The beaver I pull out of my dukes are just as dead as the ones I pull from my victors on beaver management jobs. Never seen the need to do anything besides basic maintenance to them, only problem I have with them is that we can only use them through permits.

you can use 14 ga wire added to Duke safeties to make them stay in place like Belisle.. here's the pic you asked for,



DONT FORGET Pauls dog filing mod in the Basic Sets forum! (am I the only 1 who's gone there?)

thanks john that looks easy enough. I tried making a few from scratch that wasn't so easy

The wire took me a little bit to get right. The first few I did were so tight I couldn't slide the safety at all. Once I got the hang of it, they work great.
Traprjohn, I looked over that post and modified all my 160's already and am working on my 110's and 120's.