Screw and Nail Guns Make Quick Work of Building Walls

Powder-actuated fasteners are nail guns used by carpenters to attach wood to concrete and are used to frame-out closets and other small rooms constructed inside previously built rooms. They were developed during World War II to help Navy seamen make quick repairs to the hulls of ships. The technology relies on a controlled explosion created by igniting a small gunpowder charge, similar to the process that activates a firearm.