Metallics JDS176 14 x 1 in. 3/8 Indented Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

Type A tapping screws cut their own thread in thin material as they drive, so no pre-tapping is needed. The JDS176 is a #14 x 1 inch Type A screw with a gimlet (sharp) point, intended for light metal assembly such as electrical outlets, framing and other sheet metal. If you are fastening into heavy plate or masonry, this is the wrong screw.

Both work. The head is an indented hex with a slot, so you can run it with a 3/8 inch hex nut driver or back it out with a flat blade. Head width measures 0.367 to 0.375 in., width across corners is 0.409 in., and the slot is 0.064 to 0.075 in. wide at 0.083 to 0.101 in. deep. The hex drive is what you want for production work; the slot is the backup when you can't get a driver square on the head.

No. The JDS176 is not Buy American compliant and not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. For a federally funded job carrying domestic sourcing requirements you will need a domestically produced fastener instead.

Yes, the head carries an integral washer face with an outside diameter of 0.480 to 0.520 in. and a thickness of 0.030 to 0.050 in. That bearing surface is wider than the 0.375 in. hex, so it spreads load on thin sheet and will bridge a slightly oversized or slotted hole without pulling through.

The JDS176 ships as a 100-piece jar, and 100 is the order minimum, so it is sold by the jar rather than by the piece. Other sizes and quantities are available by request.

The JDS176 runs 10 threads per inch on a #14 diameter, built to ASME B18.6.4 for the thread and ASME B18.6.3-2010 for dimensions. At 1 inch long, a coarse 10 TPI thread gives you roughly 10 threads of engagement total, so it is sized for sheet and light gauge stock where the screw taps its own thread rather than for thick sections.

The JDS176 is AISI 1016-1024 carbon steel with a zinc finish. Zinc plating handles indoor and incidental moisture, but it is not a stainless or hot-dip coating, so for sustained exterior exposure, wash-down areas or coastal work it will eventually corrode. For interior electrical boxes, framing and sheet metal it is the standard choice.

Case hardness runs Rockwell C28-38 and torsional strength is rated at 125 lb-in minimum. That is enough to cut thread in light gauge metal under a driver. The common failure is overdriving once the head seats, so set a clutch or back off the trigger at seat rather than relying on the torque rating.

It will not sit flush. Head height is 0.172 to 0.19 in. and the indented hex head is a raised profile with a washer face underneath, so it stands proud of the surface by roughly 3/16 of an inch. If you need a flush or near-flush finish, you want a flat head or pan head tapping screw, not this one.