Metallics QTEKD5 10 x 1/2 in. 5/16 Head Quadrive Self-Drilling & Tapping Screws - #2 Drill Point - Domestic Steel Zinc - Each

The Metallics QTEKD5 uses a #2 drill point, which is the light-gauge self-drilling point used for sheet metal and light steel framing rather than structural steel. It drills and taps its own hole, so no pilot drilling is needed. With a 1/2 inch overall length and a #10 diameter, the usable grip is short, so it suits attaching thin material to steel studs, track, strut clips, and sheet metal enclosures.

At 1/2 inch overall length in a #10 diameter, the QTEKD5 is short. After the drill point and the base metal thickness, there is only a small amount of grip left, so it is meant for thin attachments, straps, clips, and cover plates to light steel. If you are stacking material or going through anything thicker than sheet stock, move up to a longer self-driller in the same diameter.

It has a 5/16 inch hex head with a Quadrive drive, so a 5/16 inch magnetic nut setter in a screw gun is the normal way to run them. The Quadrive combination means you also have the option of a square/Phillips style bit if you cannot get a nut setter into a tight spot.

The QTEKD5 is domestic steel with a zinc plating, which is a mild indoor corrosion coating. It holds up fine in dry interior work such as panel, enclosure, and stud framing fastening. For exterior, wet, or coastal exposure, step up to a stainless or coated exterior-rated self-driller instead.

Yes. Metallics lists the QTEKD5 as made in the USA and the material as domestic steel with zinc finish, which matters on public and federally funded jobs with domestic content requirements.

No pre-drilling. These are self-drilling and self-tapping, so the #2 point cuts the hole and the thread taps it in one pass. Run them straight with steady pressure in a low-speed screw gun so the point cuts before the threads engage.

A #10 self-driller taps its own thread in light-gauge steel, so the hole it leaves is close to the screw's own minor diameter. If a hole strips, the usual fix is to move over to fresh base metal or step up one diameter, since a #10 has no larger thread to re-cut in the same hole.

The 5/16 hex head is an unslotted washer-style hex that seats on the surface, not countersunk, so it stands proud of the material. That is what you want for clamping straps, clips, and sheet metal, but it is the wrong choice if the assembly has to sit flat against a finished face.