I picked up two brand new duke 330's and a caulking gun setter, well today I decided to see how the setter worked. So I squeezed both springs with it and locked them with the safeties, then I went to squeeze the two bars together and put the dog on the trigger. As soon as I started to squeeze, WHAM it went off and had me by both wrists! Why would both safeties come off the squeezed springs by them self when doing this? Luckily I was able to get out of it by myself, but I am bruised up and very sore!

If your safeties were slack on the springs, sometimes when the slide to the ring on the spring they pop off. Ive had this happen a few times with my dukes. When you set make sure your safties are the whole ways down the springs next to the setting rings that way should it fire the springs are in possition.

Also, when you tighten the jaws use two hands, hold the jaws with one hand while setting the trigger with the other, before removing your holding hand place you setting hand firmly on the dog FLAT, while placing pressure on your dog remove your holding hand.

yes they were the whole way down, the springs actually bow that direction so that is the only place they can go.

Yes, like Dayton mentioned, make sure your safeties are tight against the springs. After setting the dog slide the safety towards the loose ends and remove.

This is how they look when hooked. do the springs compress more when you bring the dog and trigger together, which could have caused the safeties to come unhooked?

Left side is right, right side is wrong.
Your not to far away from me, im right.outside plumville, hows you beaver season going?

yea, i'm far from there. I haven't done anything since last week/weekend when I was off for new years. that is all I do unless I get to go with someone on weekends.

I am guessing when the springs came together more the hooks came off.

Another good thing to do is carry a 3-4` piece of rope with you, if you should get pinched you can attach the rope to one end of the spring serpenie it through and pull, it will tighen the springs up with little pulling power.
This pic I usedcable which was stupid cause its junk now, but its all i had laying around

yea is a good idea to carry with you. I was able to get my left hand out and push the right spring down with it on the floor, just enough to get my right hand out.

I think the safety latches don't compress as much as when set just to save a bit of elasticity in the springs in case you store them for a long time with the safeties on. easiet suggestion-get a conibear safety gripper.

When using 330s, i constantly check the position of the safeties to make sure they are pushed as far down the springs as possible. I also set the dog on the opposite jaw but not on the trigger. When I finally have the trap stabilized in position i hold the top jaws together with one hand and then move the dog onto the trigger with the other, then take off the safeties.

If you use a conibear safety gripper too, you can get up to 3 safety redundancies
1. keep safety latches on
2. set dog in opposite jaw instead of trigger
3. use a safety gripper