false drop

[sRc]

I've noticed that many of the supply shops handle #14 bits and #10 brass pan screws to take the slop out of pans and eliminate "false drop." Is it enough of a problem to warrant the added expense when your traps have good pan tension?

[romans117]

I think so, for me. I like 3 to 4 pounds. I could not get any where near that with the stock screws.

[gottaluvit]

I just asked this question the other day. I found on Bridger #2 or 3 that the pan and post holes were bigger than a #10 bolt. I ended up using a 7/32 drill on both and also using a #12/24 thread bolt. Brass. This took the play out.

[td]

Bought one dozen #2 Bridgers couple years ago. Replaced j-hooks and added #3 music wires. Didn't like the sloppy pan, but didn't have any trouble with it. Just pulled it down past the sloppy part and set them. Didn't have any snapped traps or lost coyotes out of them.

[Bigfoot]

This is the only advantage I see to nightlatching over shortlatching . When you set the nightlatch you take out all the false drop .
I don't nightlatch because i don't like the way that they wear and that you constantly have to file on them to keep them tuned right.

[mountainman]

I consider taking the false drop or pan creep an essential part of my trap tuning and do that to all post pan traps. I add bolts to any worn down rivet pans that need it. I don't night latch for the same reason as bigfoot. On water traps I just square off the notch and leave more to file down with the constant wear. Setting for the right throw on a properly adjusted trap doesn't cost me enough time to worry about and comes naturally after a while. I still use some old B&Ls that have worn past the original notch.

[outdoorsaddict]

I replaced the screws in #3 Bridgers for pan tension over the long haul. By this I mean is less dinking with it throughout the season to keep the tension up at four pounds. The stock screws I was having to adjust after each catch.

[17HMR]

Most of the stock bolts are also very soft, 1 time of not getting the screw driver in far enough reams out the head, I change all mine out.

[mountainman]

Yeah, It seems Bridger decided to use the same type of cruddy ones that Northwoods did. I put good brass bolts and washers in mine and do away with those problems - not to say that my way is the only way by any means.

[trappnman]

shortlatching takes the false drop out as well as true nightlatching, after all, shortlatching is just the 2nd phase of nightlatching- that notch before the drop.

[JWarren]

trappnman said:

shortlatching takes the false drop out as well as true nightlatching, after all, shortlatching is just the 2nd phase of nightlatching- that notch before the drop.

no it doesnt, setting the 2 stage latch is what takes the slop out

[trappnman]

why would the first notch, then unused, make any difference?

short latching is just nitelatching without the first notch- the final notch is the same.

all my coyote and all my coon are set this way, and no slop.

[CoonDuke]

The act of lowering the pan is what takes the slop out. With a short notch, the pan is set in the upward motion.

[trappnman]

Just don't see that coonduke, not at all. Guess my short notches are different from what youall consider short notches.

my short notches are a night latch so to speak, with the first latch ground off. No slop, no false drop.

If the way you make your short notches leaves slop, then you better go with the full nitelatch-

[CoonDuke]

Try this...

Take an unset trap that has a little pan tension on it.

Slowly move the pan up and then down. Did you feel it go easy and then the tension increase suddenly? This is caused by the hole on the pan shank being too big for the bolt. When the pan went easy, it was when the hole in pan shank was not against the bolt...and when the tension increased it finally met the bolt.

If your short notched traps have the pan bolt and hole in the pan shank the same size with no free play, then you can achieve the same effect as a night latch.

[CoonDuke]

I also should say...in my opinion this slop caused by the pan shank hole being too big really only causes a problem if you are anal about pan tension...which I am not.

[mountainman]

*edited
My mistake. Sorry coonduke.

[CoonDuke]

LOL...All of my traps fire like a rifle trigger and are adjusted correctly. I did not say to not adjust your traps...I said that having false drop is more of a problem if you use pan tension. For those using floppy pans it is much less of a problem.

[Wright Brothers]

I did all that drilling, filing, change the bolt, shims, hammering, and still have that "spot". When I pull down to the night latch, or pull down on a non NL-ed trap, the slop is all aimed in my favor.

On the few short latched traps I own that's not happening because the pan is not pulled down to remove the slop. That's one reason I don't like short latch, another is grinding all the notch life away in one shot, instead of a lifetime.
And my SL-ed traps bite me.

Pans for 1 1/2 monties are not real common. I wish someone wouldn't have ground them all away.

We talk about this every fall and I'm unchanged on my opinion.
Like said though, if floppy pan, less difference.

Edit, changed No to Less ;D

[mountainman]

How you get there don't matter as long as it works for you coonduke, and its a matter of personal preference how you fix your traps. I set mine up partly from from experience and even more so from studying the work and passed down knowledge of trappers who were or are far better than I am.