Sta-Kon RBS14-6X HEATSHR RING TERM, 16-14, No6, BLUE

The RBS14-6X takes 16 to 14 AWG stranded copper wire. The blue barrel color is the standard trade code for that gauge range, so an electrician can identify it in a bin without reading the stamp. Anything smaller than 16 AWG won't grip reliably in the barrel, and 12 AWG won't enter it.

It is a No. 6 ring, so it lands on a #6 screw or stud. If your terminal block or ground lug uses a #8 or 1/4-20 stud, this ring will not pass over it and you need the matching larger ring in the same 16-14 AWG family.

The insulating sleeve on this ring terminal is heat shrinkable, so after crimping you shrink it down onto the wire jacket. That gives a sealed, strain-relieved transition at the barrel instead of the open gap a plain vinyl terminal leaves. It's the version to use on outdoor equipment, pump panels, marine or wash-down locations where moisture would otherwise wick into the strands. Indoors in a dry control cabinet, a standard nylon or vinyl ring terminal does the same electrical job.

The terminal body is copper, so it is intended for copper conductors. Aluminum branch wiring needs a connector specifically listed AL/CU with the proper inhibitor compound, not a bare copper barrel.

It crimps with an insulated-terminal tool in the blue (16-14 AWG) nest, same as any other insulated barrel in that range. What's different is the second step: once crimped, the sleeve has to be heated with a heat gun to shrink and seal it. A lighter or a crimp alone leaves the seal unmade, which defeats the reason to buy the heat shrink version.

Country of origin on the RBS14-6X is the United States, which is what domestic-preference procurement on federal, school and healthcare work typically asks for on terminations.

A ring like the RBS14-6X has to come off the stud to be removed, so it can't vibrate loose or slip out under a partly backed-off screw. That's why rings are specified on motor connections, grounds and anything that sees vibration. A fork or spade slides out from under a loosened screw, which is faster for service work on densely packed control terminal strips. Both are available for the same 16-14 AWG range and 600 V class of work.