Metallics JQK16GRV 8 x 1-1/4 in. 1/4 Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Self-Piercing & Tapping Screws - Gray - Steel Zinc - Each

The JQK16GRV has a 1/4 inch hex head with a slot in it, so you can run it with a 1/4 inch hex driver or nut setter, or back it out with a flat blade if you can't get a socket on it. The hex measures 0.244 to 0.25 inch across and the head stands 0.096 to 0.11 inch tall; the slot is 0.045 to 0.054 inch wide and 0.052 to 0.074 inch deep. The low head profile matters where a cover plate or fitting seats over the screw.

That's the point of a sharp point self-piercing and tapping screw like the JQK16GRV. It pierces thin sheet and forms its own thread as it drives, so no pilot hole in light gauge material. Twin lead threads cut the driving torque, and the undercut under the head gives you more thread engagement once it seats. For thicker structural steel you want a self-drilling point instead.

It's a #8 diameter screw, 1-1/4 inch long, at 15 threads per inch. The 1-1/4 inch length is what you need when you're going through a bracket, strap or standoff into sheet rather than straight into it, and the coarse 15 TPI twin lead thread is what lets it tap as it goes.

Case hardness runs Rockwell C28-38 on AISI 1018 to 1022 steel, which is what lets the sharp point form its own thread in sheet metal instead of rolling over. Finish is zinc plating over the steel.

Yes, the head has an integral washer section measuring 0.322 to 0.348 inch outside diameter and 0.019 to 0.031 inch thick. That wider bearing surface spreads the load on thin sheet so the head doesn't pull through, and it's why these are used on panels and enclosures.

They ship in a jar of 500 count, and 500 is the order minimum. The jar weighs 3.1 lbs. For an electrical contractor restocking a van or a shop crib, that's one container rather than loose counts.

Treat them as a guide. Metallics notes there is no single standard for self-piercing screw dimensions and that head dimensions on self-piercing screws differ from standard tapping screws, so deviations from the listed figures can occur. If a cover or counterbore has to clear the head exactly, work from the 0.244 to 0.25 inch hex width and 0.322 to 0.348 inch washer OD with some margin.

Metallics flags the JQK16GRV as compliant for both Buy American and ARRA. Country of origin is listed as China. If your project documents require domestic melt and manufacture rather than the compliance flag, verify against your contract's specific clause.

The JQK16GRV has a gray head color, which is why it gets used on gray enclosures, raceway and fixture trim where a bright plated head would stand out. The screw body itself is zinc plated steel.