Metallics DWS93B 8 x 3 in. Bugle Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Black Phosphate - Fine Threads - Each

Fine thread, at 15 threads per inch with a UNF thread form. Fine thread drywall screws are the ones you use for hanging board on metal studs; coarse thread is what goes into wood framing. The DWS93B also has a sharp point, so it is meant for light gauge steel studs that the point can pierce rather than heavy structural steel.

Black phosphate is a dry interior coating, not a corrosion finish for exterior or damp exposure. The DWS93B is carbon steel to AISI 1018 with a black phosphate finish, which is the standard interior drywall screw combination. For exterior soffit, wet rooms, or anything exposed, use a coated or galvanized exterior fastener instead.

They take a #2 Phillips bit, and the box ships with three #2 drive power bits included. The Phillips recess is 0.124 inch deep with a 0.176 to 0.201 inch diameter, which is standard #2 geometry, so any #2 Phillips or dimpler bit you already run will seat.

They are boxed at 3,000 pieces, which is also the order minimum. Plan the buy around that count rather than a small jar quantity; the packed box runs 29 lbs.

That is what the bugle head is for. The head measures 0.315 to 0.363 inch across with a head height of 0.020 to 0.039 inch, so it is wide and shallow, letting it countersink itself into the board and leave a dimple you can skim over instead of cutting through the face paper. Set your screw gun depth stop so the head is just below the surface.

They are heat treated to Rockwell C44, which is the normal hardness range for a case hardened drywall screw and is what lets the sharp point bite light gauge steel framing. Hardness that high also means the shank is brittle if you overdrive or cam out, so run a depth sensitive screw gun rather than a drill on full torque.

Both the ARRA and Buy American compliance flags on the DWS93B are marked C, with country of origin listed as multiple. For a federally funded project, cite that compliance status on your submittal along with the model number DWS93B.

Metallics markets the DWS series into the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades, where a long bugle head screw gets used for mounting backer board, securing furring and blocking, and general fastening around rough-in work as much as for hanging board. The 3 inch length is what makes it useful past drywall alone.

Treat them as a guide. There is no single industry standard for drywall screw or bugle head dimensions, so Metallics publishes the head width, head height, and recess figures as nominal values and slight deviation between production lots is normal. If you are matching an existing dimpler setting or a spec that calls out a tight head diameter, allow for that range.