Metallics SDS1M 6 x 1 in. Bugle Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Zinc - Fine Threads - Each

Yes. The Metallics SDS1M is a self-drilling and tapping drywall screw with a drill point, and the fine 18 threads per inch pitch is the pitch used for light gauge steel framing. Metallics lists it for wood, drywall, steel and aluminum applications. The drill point means no pre-drilling of the stud flange. For wood framing a coarse thread screw bites better.

No. Metallics lists the SDS1M as not Buy American compliant and not ARRA compliant, with multiple countries of origin. On a federally funded project with domestic sourcing requirements, these will not pass.

A #2 Phillips bit drives them, and Metallics includes a free power bit with the jar. The Phillips recess is 0.106 inch deep with a 0.176 to 0.201 inch recess diameter, so a worn #2 bit will cam out and strip heads.

They ship in a jar of 1,000 pieces, which is the order minimum, and the jar weighs 3.45 lbs. Metallics notes other sizes and quantities are available by request.

That is what the bugle head is for. The head on the SDS1M measures 0.315 to 0.347 inch across with a head height of 0.020 to 0.031 inch, so the curved underside dimples the board and seats below the surface for taping rather than cutting the paper. Metallics notes there is no single industry standard for bugle head dimensions, so slight deviations are acceptable.

The SDS1M is case hardened to Rockwell C44 from AISI 1018 steel, which is what lets the drill point cut light gauge steel and aluminum without a pilot hole. That hardness also means the screws are brittle in bending, so avoid using them as a structural fastener.

Thread pitch follows the framing. The SDS1M runs a fine UNF thread at 18 threads per inch with a drill point, which cuts and taps metal studs cleanly. Coarse thread screws have fewer, deeper threads that grip wood fiber better and tend to spin without holding in steel. Pick fine for metal framing, coarse for wood framing.

Zinc plating on steel, which is the finish on the SDS1M, is a dry interior coating. It gives some handling and storage corrosion protection but is not a weather coating, so keep these on interior board work and use a corrosion rated exterior fastener outdoors or in wet areas.