Just wondering how you store your 330 after season ? Do you keep the spring compressed with the safety’s on ? I keep mine in the barn in a stall I turned into a trap storage room , I normally fire all mine when I pull but occasionally I fine one the next season hanging with the safety’s still on .

Mine are usually all fired. Mainly because like you that is what I do when I pull them.

I leave mine set, with the safeties on.

Compressed springs with the safetys holding them.
There’s been alotta discussion on other sites about springs, not just traps. The more the spring is worked, the weaker it can get seems to be the consensus from people who work with them every day. I’ve had one broken power ram but that was a new one. Pulled it out of the bag broken. Sprung or left with the safety’s, they’ll probably never break.

That was what I was wondering if leaving the spring compressed would weaken them . But I guess this is a discussion that will go either way .

This subject has come up a few times, in the time I have been around this forum. I can’t say there was much more than preference. Mine are stored compressed resting on their safeties.

My take is do what is convenient for you. Just do all the same.

Mine get sprung & placed in a dry cardboard box in the garage

Mine too.

Mine are stored set with safeties on . Not going to unset them just to reset .

Springs compressed with the safeties on !!!

Been doing it that way for 40 years.

Same procedure for my #160's & #220's !!!

w

Same here. My buddy says it will weaken the springs. I told him when he wakes up he needs to reach under his pillow to see what the tooth fairy left.

I let a few set over the season a few years ago. #330s from different manufacturers. I ended up changing springs out come the next season so I won't be doing that again.

I've also learned there are many people who can't tell the difference between a new and clapped out spring that needed changing years ago.

Kind of like the pre 90s Duke #220s. The springs were so weak, there were catch circles at most locations but guys swore they were good because when the finally got to the set, the animals were dead.

But as always....to each their own.

Tommie good question and topic....my take... I remember buying a pile of traps from a guy that wanted out of the trapping game... low fur prices at the time. In the pile of traps he had some used and new Victor 330s. Now not knowing how this guy prepared his traps...ie. dye and wax. I don't know what happened but the used 330s were ruined. When I set the traps and fired them they were slow. I grabbed the springs and they were considerably softer than his new ones. I asked him what he did to these traps and he told me he just left them set in the off season to save time. I asked him how long have they been set he said it had been probably 5 years or more since he trapped any beaver or used them. So there might be a lesson there for us....IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON HOW LONG A BODYGRIPPER SPRING CAN STAY SET BEFORE IT LOSES STRENGTH? Thoughts?

Most years, I spring mine with the safeties on and just leave them that way as when you are as old and weak as I am it is just less work. I do worry though that when i heat water to clean them that this might weaken the springs.

I've been using 330's for over 45 years and it's not a big difference, but leaving springs compressed does weaken springs some. But from one season to the next you will not notice a big difference or really any difference at all.. After you've owned those traps for 8-10 years...yep, noticeable.

Same here.The only time my springs are not compressed is when there is a critter in them.

Surface rust is harder on spring steel than compression.

I leave all conibears set

I’ve kept mine clipped and in normal fur shed conditions for a good 30 years…and they still kill beaver every day!

This is what I'm talking about. As long as they are dead the next day, It's just fine in many guys book.

I want them dead NOW...not in 8 hrs. It's not hard to change springs out on a conibear. Can always do just one, too. Makes a difference.

That said, I have BMI #220s from the 80s that are still strong, but most are not...and I don't clip them (anymore).