Metallics JSDS9C 8 x 3 in. Bugle Head Phillips Drywall Screws - Steel Zinc - Fine Threads - Each

Yes. The JSDS9C has a drill point, so it drills its own hole and taps as it goes, which is what lets it start in light gauge steel framing without pre-drilling. The fine thread at 15 threads per inch is the metal-stud thread pattern, and the screw is hardened to Rockwell C44 so the point survives the drilling. Metallics lists it for wood, drywall, steel and aluminum work.

Fine thread is the one for steel. The JSDS9C is a fine thread, 15 TPI, UNF screw with a drill point, which is the combination used to fasten board to light gauge metal studs. Coarse thread screws are the choice for wood studs, where the deeper thread bites the lumber; a fine thread will still drive into wood but holds less in it.

No. The JSDS9C is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. If your contract carries a domestic sourcing clause, this screw will not satisfy it.

That is what the bugle head is for. The head width runs 0.315 to 0.363 in. with a head height of only 0.020 to 0.039 in., and the curved underside dimples the paper and seats just below the surface without tearing the facing, so it can be mudded and taped over. Metallics notes there is no single industry dimensional standard for bugle heads, so slight deviations from those figures are normal.

They come in a jar, 100 screws, and 100 is the order minimum. Jar weight is listed at 1.24 lbs. Metallics offers other sizes and quantities in this SDS/SDSB line by request.

Treat these as interior fasteners. The JSDS9C is AISI 1018 steel with a zinc finish, which is a light corrosion coating meant for dry interior framing and finish work, not sustained weather exposure or wet locations. For exterior sheathing or anywhere that stays damp, move to a coated or stainless exterior-rated screw.

Metallics lists this screw for the electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning trades as well as wood, drywall, steel and aluminum applications, so it gets used well beyond board hanging. The self-drilling point handles light steel without pre-drilling. Keep in mind the bugle head is designed to sink below the surface rather than clamp on top, so for attaching hardware or straps that need bearing under the head, a pan or hex washer head screw is the better pick.

Order by the Metallics part number JSDS9C: #8 diameter, 3 in. long, bugle head Phillips, fine thread, steel with zinc finish, 100 per jar. That part number is the single orderable configuration, so repeat buys match what is already in the walls.