I've got several dozen Victor 3n's and I knew they made a 4n but I've never seen one. There is one on eBay now and it doesn't appear to have cast jaws. Am I correct? What's the history of the 3 and 4 n's ? Thanks.

First made in the late 1930s because the government trappers wanted a trap that was like a Newhouse but not as expensive as a Newhouse. Even back then, trappers wanted a cadilac at VW price.

So they took the cast jaws of the Newhouse, made them slightly offset, and added the long kindles chain and you have a 3N. I've been told that the N stands for Newhouse..... Could be I guess.

The one thing that confuses a lot of trappers about the 3 N is that the pan is not stamped 3N. It is just an ordinary # 3 pan. If you look at an ATCo parts list, the pan for both the 3 and 3N has the same part number. So the pan did not change, just the jaws and chain.

Thanks for those interesting facts wissmiss, what about the jaws on the 4n?

What about the jaws? To the best of my knowledge they were cast and slightly offset, to make it a true 4N.

Looks like the one on e-bay has steel off set jaws.

That is not a #4N, just a #4 that someone put a kinkless chain on. The #4N will have cast jaws, a heavy cast swivel and a kinkless chain.

That is what I was thinking.

And no offset jaws...at least the few I've seen.

The trap in the above picture is not a 4N.

It is a standard # 4 Victor double long offset with a replacement chain.

Worth - $12.50 to $14.00 - in my opinion.

Thanks for posting that photo Bob, and thank you all for the input. I'd like to find one for my measly trap collection because the 3n's are my favorite fox coyote trap.

You are welcome. Looks like the bids are up to $80 on that trap.