Metallics JQK59V 10 x 1 in. 5/16 Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Self-Piercing & Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

The JQK59V ships in a jar of 500, and 500 count is the order minimum. It is a bulk pack for electricians doing repeat work, not a small blister card.

No pilot hole. The JQK59V has a sharp point that pierces thin sheet metal on its own, and twin lead threads to cut driving torque as it taps its own thread. That is what separates it from a standard tapping screw, which wants a drilled hole.

Two options, which is the point of this head. It takes a 5/16 hex driver or nutsetter, or a flat blade in the slot. The slot runs 0.045 to 0.054 inch wide and 0.052 to 0.074 inch deep, so a standard cabinet-tip screwdriver seats in it. Most installers run the 5/16 nutsetter in a drill and keep the slot as a backup for tight spots or hand-tightening.

The JQK59V is a #10 diameter by 1 inch long screw with 12 threads per inch. With 1 inch of length, subtract the thickness of whatever you are fastening through and the rest is thread engagement into the steel. It is sized for attaching boxes, straps, clips and light brackets to sheet metal, not for structural loads or thick plate. The undercut under the head gives you more usable thread than a head with a full fillet.

It has an integral washer with a 0.384 to 0.414 inch outside diameter and 0.019 to 0.031 inch thickness, so it bridges slots and oversized holes in strap and bracket work. Head width is 0.244 to 0.25 inch across and head height 0.096 to 0.11 inch, which keeps a low profile. Note that head dimensions on self-piercing screws differ from standard tapping screws and there is no single dimensional standard for them, so treat these as guide values.

The JQK59V is carbon steel with a zinc plating, which is a general purpose indoor and dry-location finish. It handles incidental moisture and construction humidity fine, but zinc plating is not the choice for sustained wet exposure, coastal air or corrosive environments. For those, specify stainless or a heavier coated fastener.

The JQK59V is flagged compliant for both ARRA and Buy American purposes, with country of origin listed as China. If your specification requires domestic melt and manufacture rather than the compliance flag, confirm the requirement wording with your specifier before you submit it.

Figure 3.55 lbs for the jar, measuring 3.5 by 3.5 by 5.75 inches. Useful if you are stocking a service van shelf or a job box and need to know how many jars fit.

The JQK series of hex head slotted sharp point self-piercing and tapping screws runs beyond the 10 x 1 inch JQK59V, and other sizes and quantities are available by request. If you are standardizing a facility on one head style, keeping the 5/16 hex slotted head across lengths means one nutsetter covers the whole kit.