Metallics DWS11B 10 x 5 in. Bugle Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Black Phosphate - Fine Threads - Each

Fine thread is the metal stud screw. The DWS11B runs 14 threads per inch with a UNF fine thread form and a sharp point, which is the combination used to drive drywall into light gauge steel framing. For wood studs or wood blocking you want a coarse thread drywall screw instead, since coarse threads pull and hold in wood where fine threads tend to spin out.

A 5 inch length is far longer than anything a single layer of board needs. The DWS11B is a #10 by 5 inch screw, which is the size reached for in multi-layer board assemblies, thick fire rated wall build-ups, or where the screw has to pass through board plus a backing layer and still get adequate thread into the stud. For a standard single layer of 1/2 or 5/8 inch board, a 1-1/4 inch screw is the normal choice and a 5 inch screw will bottom out or blow through the far side.

Keep these inside. Black phosphate is a dry interior finish that gives only mild corrosion resistance, so a DWS11B in a wet area, an exterior sheathing application, or anywhere subject to condensation will rust and bleed through the finish coat. For damp or exterior work, move to a corrosion resistant coated or galvanized fastener.

They take a #2 Phillips bit, and three #2 drive power bits ship in the box free. The Phillips recess is 0.124 inch deep with a 0.190 to 0.204 inch recess diameter, so a worn or undersized bit will cam out and strip the head on a 5 inch screw that needs a lot of drive time.

The DWS11B ships as a 200 count box, and 200 is the order minimum, so that carton is the smallest purchase unit. Metallics notes that other sizes and quantities are available by request if 200 of a 5 inch screw is more than the job needs.

That is what the bugle head is for. The head measures 0.334 to 0.363 inch across with a head height of 0.020 to 0.039 inch, so it countersinks into the paper face and leaves a shallow dimple you can skim with compound rather than a raised head that telegraphs through the finish. Metallics notes there is no single industry standard for bugle head dimensions, so treat those figures as a guide.

They are heat treated to Rockwell C44 and made from AISI 1018 steel, which is the hardness range that lets a sharp point drywall screw bite light gauge steel framing without the Phillips recess shearing out. Hardness is also why you should not over-torque them: a case hardened screw at that Rockwell will snap rather than bend if you drive it into something it cannot cut.

Metallics flags the DWS11B as both ARRA compliant and Buy American compliant. Country of origin is listed as multiple, so if your contract requires documented origin per shipment, ask for the mill or origin paperwork on the specific lot you receive.

No pre-drilling for board and light gauge steel. The DWS11B has a sharp point that pierces the paper face and starts in light gauge framing on its own. It is not a self-drilling screw with a drill point, though, so heavier gauge steel will need a pilot hole or a self-drilling fastener instead.

A box runs 13.89 lbs, with carton dimensions of 7.25 by 6.75 by 3.25 inches. Worth knowing if you are staging material by floor or hand carrying several cartons up a scaffold, since 200 five inch #10 screws is a dense box for its size.