Metallics JSPS40SS Screw 8-32 x 1-1/4 PN SD MS 18-8 SS (Jar 100)

No. Standard receptacles, switches and wall plates in North American boxes take 6-32 machine screws, and the JSPS40SS is an 8-32 thread. It will not thread into device straps or box device-mounting ears. Use it where the tapped hole or nut is 8-32, such as larger enclosure covers, fixture hardware and panel work.

It is 18-8 stainless, the common 300-series austenitic grade used for corrosion resistance in wet and outdoor work. That makes it a reasonable choice for exterior enclosures, damp locations and washdown areas where a plated steel screw would rust. 18-8 is non-magnetic in the annealed condition and is not hardened like an alloy steel screw, so do not over-torque it in a tapped hole.

It is a machine screw, which means a straight, uniform 8-32 thread meant for a tapped hole or a mating 8-32 nut. It has no point and no self-tapping thread, so it will not cut its own thread in sheet metal, wood or masonry. For sheet metal you want a self-drilling or sheet metal screw instead; for an 8-32 machine screw in untapped stock, drill and tap to 8-32 or back it with a nut.

Pan head with a single slot, so it drives with a flat-blade screwdriver, not Phillips or square drive. The pan head sits proud of the surface with a broad bearing face, so it is not a countersunk or flush-mount screw. If the hole in your cover or plate is countersunk for a flat head, this is the wrong profile.

The 1-1/4 inch figure is the usable thread length under the head, because a pan head is not countersunk and its length is measured from the underside of the head to the tip. Add enough grip for the material thickness plus full thread engagement in the tapped hole or at least a nut plus a thread or two of stick-out. If you are only clamping a thin cover, 1-1/4 inch will bottom out or leave excess thread, and a shorter 8-32 is the better call.

Jar of 100 pieces, which is the shop-counter pack rather than a bulk box. The jar keeps one size separated in a van drawer or a parts wall, and 100 of a single length is the usual stocking quantity for an electrician or maintenance tech who pulls these a few at a time. Order by the Metallics part number JSPS40SS.