So, you want to install a deck, you like shooting things, and you hate the permanence of nails. Oh, and you’re impatient too. Then we found just the hardware for you at last months STAFDA trade show.  It’s the Ballistic NailScrew from Universal Fastener Outsourcing, or, the much more catchy  sounding UFO for short.  Technically, their slogan is “Drive Them In, Screw Them Out.”  But this is America people!  We shoot stuff!  Ok, technically we drive a lot too.  But, when it comes to something that rapidly fires out of a gun, we say call it “shooting” not “driving.”  UFO will surely revise their slogan after reading this.  Where was I?  Ah, yes. Ballistic NailScrews enable you to “shoot” in fasteners pneumatically like a nail, but then remove them as needed, just like a screw. Sounds nifty.  What does this mean for you?
If you happen to be installing a large deck, we’re talking about major time savings vs. driving screws into the decking the more traditional way. In, fact, you might be able to fit a vacation into the time you save instead of screwing. Â Uh, that last sentence sounds a little racy. Â You know what I mean, right? Â You see, I’m trying to say shooting is faster than screwing. Â Moving on.
UFO makes Ballistic NailScrews in a wide variety of styles including; yellow zinc, composite head, flat head, combo trim head, stainless steel, vinyl coated, and more. Â So, whether you’re installing subfloor, wood boards, or composite decking, UFO probably has a Ballistic NailScrew to meet your need (1 3/4″ to 3 1/2″ lengths depending on the particular screw style).
You can find a list of compatible nail guns via the UFO website which happens to be 911-nails.com. Â 911, nails and nail guns usually conger up a different image in my mind, but I think the rationale here is that the nailscrews are so awesome, you’re going to want to call 911 to get them asap (not recommended). Â Instead, just use the purchase link we conveniently provided at the end of this incredibly enlightening article.
Check out this video of the Balistic Nailscrew in action at STAFDA last month:
Like most red-blooded Americans, we think you’ll enjoy the shooting and the screwing (two activities that never really used to go well together). Somehow UFO made it work.  You can find UFO Ballistic NailScrews at McFeely’s in packages ranging from $66 to $387 depending on size and style.
Yeah, this would seem to be a great trade off. In places that you’d otherwise use nails, these will have more hold than a nail (even a ring shank nail) and have removability in case you need to remove them. So I don’t know if they are a replacement for every place that requires screws, but if you’re thinking “it’d be nice to use screws, don’t have to and that’ll take to long… so I’ll just use nails and hope it never needs to be unscrewed” then this is the perfect mix. The speed of shooting nails, with more hold – and yet removable like screws. BEAUTY!
Wow, this sounds amazing. What a great breakthrough. I hope this means that the fasteners hold like screws even though being shot in. I can;t wait to try/use this!
Glad you liked the product mention Rich. . . let us know how they work out for you!
OK – so I’m really curious as to how it’s pneumatically driven and still maintains any kind of traction on the threads. Why not use nails? How often do you actually have to unscrew decking boards? I mean, I suppose they’re better than ring-shank nails, as it’s more easily removed if you need to, but how often do you need to?
Thanks for the comment Chuck. My impression is that the threads on the Ballistic Nailscrews are less aggressive than on typical screws. As a result, they can be shot in pneumatically, but they still have enough thread on them to allow for unscrewing. For many jobs, nails are perfectly fine. However, I personally like the idea of being able to remove wood easily, whether its for a board repair, accessing a covered area, etc. Given the option of cordless drill/driver vs pry bar, I’d generally prefer the cordless. Most nails are cheaper, but for some jobs where removability is a concern, I think UFO’s Ballistic NailScrews are a great idea.