Metallics DWS6M 6 x 21/4 in. Bugle Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Black Phosphate - Fine Threads - Each

Fine thread is the metal stud screw. The DWS6M runs 18 threads per inch with fine thread spacing, and Metallics lists its field applications as hardwood, light gauge steel and light gauge aluminum. For wood framing most crews use a coarse thread drywall screw instead, since the wider thread pulls into soft lumber better. Use the fine thread version for steel track and studs, and for hardwood where a coarse thread would chew the hole.

The DWS6M is a sharp point screw, which self-pierces light gauge steel and light gauge aluminum, the applications Metallics lists for it. No pilot hole needed in that material. Heavier gauge steel is a different job and calls for a self-drilling point screw, not a sharp point.

No. Black phosphate is a dry interior finish, not a corrosion coating. It gives just enough protection for handling and storage and takes joint compound and paint well, which is why it is standard on interior drywall. For exterior sheathing, soffits, or anywhere exposed to moisture, use a coated or galvanized exterior screw instead. The DWS6M is steel with a black phosphate finish, made to AISI 1018 material standard.

No. The DWS6M is listed as not Buy American compliant and not ARRA compliant, with multiple countries of origin. On a federally funded job with domestic sourcing requirements, this part will not satisfy the spec and you need a domestically produced fastener.

A #2 Phillips bit. The screws use a Phillips drive with a #2 driver size, and Metallics includes a free #2 drive power bit with the box, so you do not have to order a bit separately. The recess is 0.106 inches deep with a 0.176 to 0.201 inch diameter, which is what a #2 Phillips tip seats into.

The DWS6M ships as a box with a 1,000 piece order minimum, so a full box is the smallest buy. Metallics notes other sizes and quantities are available by request if 1,000 of this length is not what the job needs.

That is what the bugle head is for. The curved underside of the head compresses into the gypsum face and seats just below the surface instead of cutting the paper, so it dimples cleanly for tape and mud. On the DWS6M the head measures 0.315 to 0.347 inches across with a 0.020 to 0.031 inch head height. Metallics notes there is no single industry standard for bugle head dimensions, so treat those as a guide.

The DWS6M is case hardened to Rockwell C44, which is the range drywall screws need to drive their own thread into light gauge steel without the point rolling over or the recess stripping. Pair it with the #2 Phillips bit supplied and keep the gun depth set so the head stops at the dimple, since over-driving is what snaps heads on hardened screws.

A box of the DWS6M weighs 6.4 lbs. Worth knowing if you are staging a lot of boxes on a scaffold or pricing freight on a multi-box order.