Metallics JTSP30 10 x 1-1/2 in. Pan Head Phillips Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The JTSP30 is a Type A tapping screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, so it starts itself in thin sheet metal, and that is what the point type is for. It is not a self-drilling screw, so in heavier gauge stock or in strut and backing plates you still want a pilot. Thread pitch is 12 threads per inch, which is the coarse Type A spacing that clears chips in thin material.

Metallics lists the JTSP30 as both ARRA compliant and Buy American compliant. Country of origin is China, so if your specification is a strict domestic-melt-and-manufacture requirement rather than the Buy American Act trade-agreement treatment, confirm which standard your contract is written to before you submit it.

A #2 Phillips bit. The JTSP30 has a Phillips recess 0.186 to 0.199 inch in diameter and 0.124 inch deep, which is the standard #2 pairing. A #1 bit will cam out and chew the recess on a sheet metal screw driven at any speed.

Material is steel with a zinc finish, which is a dry-interior plating. It is fine for panel work, device mounting, and indoor strut and box fastening. For exterior enclosures, wash-down areas, or anywhere condensation collects, specify a stainless or hot-dip galvanized fastener instead, since zinc plate will bloom and then rust through.

They ship in a jar of 100, and 100 count is the order minimum, so the smallest buy is one jar. Jar weight runs just under a pound at 0.99 lbs. Handy if you are stocking a van or a maintenance shop rather than buying bulk boxes.