Clipped Head v. Full Round Head Nails

RickT

I have a Porter-Cable FC350A framing nailer, and I've been using it with clipped head paper collated nails. I was in Home Depot and saw the sign above each of the framing nailers and saw "clipped head/offset full round head" on the sign for the FC350A. That seems to indicate that one can use offset full round head nails with my framing nailer. Has anyone used them? What's the difference between "full round head" and "offset full round head" nails? Is it just describing a full round head that is slightly off set rather than centered? Is there an advantage of using one type over another?
Thanks,
Rick

buletbob

the new building code here requires us to use full round head nails.

AtlanticWBConst.

Only full round-head in my region per code as well.

The understanding is: Full head = stronger hold-down ability (shear strength).

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Major_Yabo

I think the other two responses were about code and I think you were asking what would work. I have used (by accident) the offset rounded in my FC350A framing nailer and they worked fine.

nailgunz

Did you ever use the "clipped head/offset full round head" in your FC350A nailer?
John

Granta

RickT, did u ever resolve your Home Depot question? I'm going through the same issue and the local PC service center claims I'll void the warranty running offset nails through the FC350A.

oh'mike

I just framed a basement this week using the Porter cable clip head gun---used those new offset full round nails--The gun worked just fine---Mike---

rjniles

Offset full round head nails are just that, the heads are not clipped but the shaft of the nail is not centered on the button (head). These nails were developed to work in a clipped head framing nailer but still meet code requirements for full head nails.

I asked the building inspector when I built my garage as I only had a clipped head framer at the time. He was the one who told me about the offset round nails.

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Location:
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Granta

Thanks for the helpful info. Got a call back from PC service center, they are still maintaining offset nails will void the warranty, but are going to look into the Home Depot sales claim. Guess I'll just use the clipped head...NOT. Any suggestions on brands for the offset nails?

rjniles

Make sure your building jurisdiction approves of clipped head nails. Many do not.

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Location:
Coastal South Carolina

Spongebob3871

I was told by my local building department that a modified round head or round head nail was acceptable.

This response is from the Kansas City, MO building code division and was made to my inquiry on this subject.

Honestly, we inspect fastener types, lengths and spacings very closely when we are performing the inspection of Fire-Rated assemblies, Shear-Wall or Braced-Wall assembelies and when inspecting an engineered supporting mechanism (such as a joist hanger). These all require specific fastening assembelies which have proven to perform up to certain standards according to testing labs (such as U.L.). Otherwise the framing members are simply fastened according to recognized methods and materials found in the 2006 IRC. If you check Table R602.3 you will see a series of footnotes at the bottom of the page (footnote (a) indicates that "Nail" is a general description and may be T-head modified round head or round head). I do not know if Modified Round Head would include Clipped Heads, but we are not going to critique, most likely, those installations that are usually counter-sunk anyway, and are many times located within members too far up in the structure to be seen clearly. We are counting the number of fasteners in these instances.

I think I'm going to go with the Porter Cable FC350A. I had been thinking about the Paslode F350S but didn't like the trigger and the fact that it didn't come with a case. The Senco 902XP is nice too but no case that I'm aware of, and the Paslode CF325 is too much for me at this point. Maybe I could get one in the future off of eBay or at a Paslode Outlet Store.