The way that I make a #11 is to take a #1 ls( I usually take a #1 with a weak spring which are usually cheap at estate auctions.) and than pop the jaws out with a pliers or vice grips making carefull not to bend the jaws to much. I bought new #1 springs which aren't to expensive and the new springs give more holding power. Put a vice grips on the new springs to compress them and then put the jaws back into the frame. If the jaws are a little bent out of shape you might have to play with them. The only reason I used old #1's is because I have a lot of them laying around and have the time to tinker around with them. The #11 seems to have enough power to hold most coon including a 24# this morning. Hopefully this helps.

[ 11-22-2001: Message edited by: BillWI ]

I don't own any #1 sized traps. I use to but have since gone to traps that are more effcent.#1 just don't have the jaw spread, too many sprung traps,I feel they are one dimentional(less foot chewing on coon)And If I remember right they didn't do all that well In the BMPs. They make poor rat and mink traps.And I wouldn't use them for fox trapping.The only thing going for them Is they are cheaper then bigger traps.All my dryland coon trapping Is done with conibears.All my water trapping for coon Is done with traps from a 1 1/2 sized trap to #3s.The trap of choice of lots of mink trappers Is the #1 1/2 long spring and untold numbers of coon are caught while mink trapping.My choice would be a # 2 double long spring on a slide wire.It beds better than a coil spring has a big kill area and Is heavy which helps In a drowning situation.Even If you only use a tangle stake situation In the water you just won't have a chewing problem If the animals foot Is under water.They don't lend themselves to good land traps either.They just can't handle any amount of covering.Don't make yoursevles trap poor by haveing one trap for this and one for that situations.Fill your trap shed with traps that you can use In many situations and are effcent when used. As you can tell I hate # 1 sized traps.I just looked at some BMP Info almost half of the coon caught In the Unmodified
1 1/2 coilspring and the unmodified #11 were placed In the severe trauma class(44%and 47%)that shoots the theory of the # 11 reducing self-directed biting.Big is still the way to go, you just have to learn how to use them.

The Beav

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