Metallics JTEK20PSS 10 x 2 in. Pan Head Phillips Self-Drilling & Tapping Screws - #2 Drill Point - 410 Stainless Steel - Each

The #2 drill point on the JTEK20PSS is rated for panel thickness of 0.035 to 0.110 in. That covers light gauge steel studs, strut, hat channel and sheet metal. Go thicker than 0.110 in and the point burns before it penetrates, so you want a heavier drill point or a pre-drilled pilot hole.

410 stainless is a hardenable martensitic grade, and these are heat treated to Rockwell C38-46, which is what lets the point cut steel instead of skating. Metallics states minimum torques are the same for stainless and steel self-drillers, with a 2.5 second drill time through a 1 mm plate. So you get the corrosion resistance of stainless without giving up drilling ability in the 0.035 to 0.110 in panel range.

Torsional strength is 61 lb-in minimum on the #10 JTEK20PSS. That is the breaking torque, not a drive setting, so a high torque impact driver run wide open will twist heads off, especially once the point bottoms in heavier panel. Use a screw gun with a depth-sensing nose or dial the clutch back and let the 2.5 second drill time do the work.

A #2 Phillips bit. The recess is a #2 Phillips with a 0.192 in recess diameter and a gaging depth of 0.089 to 0.113 in, so a standard #2 insert bit seats fully. Don't substitute a #3 or a worn bit, the recess cams out and you lose the torque needed to drive the point.

16 threads per inch on a #10 diameter, which is the fine Type BSD self-drilling and tapping thread built to SAE J78 - 2013. The 2 in length means after the drill point and the panel you still have plenty of engaged thread, which is why this length is used for standoffs, through-fastening into furring, and attaching through insulation or sheathing to light steel.

The pan head measures 0.357 to 0.373 in across and 0.122 to 0.133 in high, dimensioned to ASME B18.6.3-2010. That is a bearing surface wide enough to hold strap, clip, and box flanges without pulling through light gauge, but the head sits above the surface, so if you need a flush face use a flat head countersunk screw instead.

They ship 100 to a jar, and 100 count is the order minimum. The packed jar weighs 1.22 lbs. The jar packaging keeps them contained on a cart or in a gang box rather than loose in a bag.

The JTEK20PSS is flagged compliant for both ARRA and Buy American on our record, with country of origin listed as China. If your spec requires domestic melt and manufacture rather than Buy American program compliance, confirm the requirement language on your submittal before you commit the material.

410 is the stainless grade used here because it can be hardened enough to drill, and it gives better corrosion resistance than a plain carbon self-driller. It is not 300 series, so in salt spray, coastal, or heavy chemical exposure it will still show rust. For dry interior, damp interior, and general exterior commercial work it is the normal choice for self-drilling fasteners.