Bullet head nail: finish carpentry nail with rounded head

TL;DR

Bullet head nails (also called finish nails) have a small rounded head that punches below the wood surface for filling and painting. They are the residential standard for architraves, skirtings, mouldings, and other finish carpentry where the fastener should not be visible in the finished work. Distinct from flat head nails (framing, exposed), jolt head nails (rough work, partly recessed), and brad head nails (very small finish work). Use 50-65 mm bullet heads for skirting and architrave; 30-50 mm for door stops, beads, and lighter trim. The nail is driven flush with the surface then punched (with a nail punch) typically 2-3 mm below the surface; the recess is filled with putty or filler before paint.

What it is

A bullet head nail is a standard steel nail with a small dome-shaped head approximately 1.5 to 2 times the shank diameter. The head is small enough to be punched below the surface without splitting the timber but large enough to give holding power and a clean drive. The shank is typically smooth (occasionally ring-shanked for high-flex applications like decking).

Bullet heads come in:

Galvanised: standard treatment, sufficient for internal finish work.
Stainless steel (304 or 316): for marine and high-humidity applications.
Brass-plated or coloured: occasional decorative use.
Ring shank variant: where pull-out resistance matters (decking, sub-floor).

Properties

Property	Typical value
Length range (residential)	30 mm to 75 mm
Common sizes for finish carpentry	50 mm × 2.5 mm, 65 mm × 2.8 mm
Head diameter	1.5 - 2 × shank diameter
Head profile	Small rounded dome, designed for punch-and-fill
Material (residential)	Galvanised mild steel; stainless for marine
Packaging	1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg boxes; bulk bags 25-50 kg

Grades / variants

Variant	Where to use
Standard galvanised	Internal finish carpentry (architraves, skirtings, mouldings).
Stainless 304	Coastal residential, exterior trim.
Stainless 316	Severe marine, swimming pool decks, ACQ-treated decking.
Ring shank galvanised	Decking, high-vibration applications.
Decorative (brass, coloured)	Heritage and feature work.

Where to use

Architraves around doors and windows.
Skirting boards at floor-to-wall junction.
Cornice mouldings at wall-to-ceiling junction (where mechanical fixings supplement adhesive).
Door stops and beads.
Picture rails and chair rails.
Lining boards (decorative timber wall panels).
Mitre joints in trim work.
Decking (ring shank variant; standard bullet heads will back out under cyclic load).

Where NOT to use

Structural framing: flat-head nails are the residential default; bullet heads are too small to drive flush hard.
Exposed external work: the head will rust visible if not corrosion-treated correctly.
Decking with cyclic load: standard smooth-shank bullet heads back out within years; ring shank required.
Concealed hangers: structural connectors need specific fasteners per the manufacturer.

Fixing / installation

Pre-drilling for hardwood: drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the shank diameter to prevent splitting.
Drive flush with the surface, hammering progressively to avoid bruising the timber.
Punch with a nail punch typically 2-3 mm below the surface.
Fill the recess with timber putty (matching colour for stained work) or with paintable filler.
Sand smooth after filler cures.

Modern alternative: a finish gun with collated bullet-head brads (15-18 gauge) drives the nail and punches it in one motion. Standard for production residential trim work.

Tolerances and acceptance

Bullet head punched 2-3 mm below surface, no visible damage to the trim.
Filler flush with the timber face, no visible dimple after sanding.
No splitting at the nail entry.
Spacing per the trim manufacturer’s install guide (typically 400-600 mm in architrave and skirting).

Working with other trades

Chippy: the primary user.
Painter: the painter sees and complains about poor punch-and-fill. Coordinate at hand-over of finishing work.
Plasterer: less direct interaction; bullet heads typically arrive after plasterboard work is complete.

Health & safety

Eye protection: nail punching can ricochet steel particles.
Hearing protection: high-volume work in confined spaces.
Finish gun safety: collated nail guns are a high-frequency injury source for chippies (puncture wounds from misfires and “double fires”).

Suppliers

Paslode (most common collated finish-gun nails in Australia).
DeWalt, Makita, Bosch (gun-system collated brads in various gauges).
Loose bullet-head nails: every Bunnings, Mitre 10, and trade hardware carries 50 mm and 65 mm galvanised.

What can go wrong

Splitting at trim ends: pre-drill in hardwood; in softwood, place fixings away from board ends.
Visible head after fill: filler shrinkage exposes the punch recess; re-fill and re-sand before paint.
Rust bleed through paint (galv nails in damp wet-area trim): use stainless for any moisture-prone location.
Nail back-out on decking: use ring shank, not standard bullet head.
Misfire from finish gun: collated nails can jam, double-fire, or misfeed. Trade safety training matters.

References

AS 2334:1980, Steel nails, Metric series (verified 2026-05-15).
Paslode Australia finish nailers and nails (verified 2026-05-15).
Standards Australia