DeWalt 1-1/4 in. x 15-Gauge 34-Degree DA Bright Finish Nails (1000-Pack)

A 1-1/4-inch, 15-gauge finish nail occupies a very specific niche in trim work: stout enough to hold more assertively than 16- or 18-gauge brads, but short enough to avoid blow-through on thin stock and returns. That’s exactly where these DeWalt 1-1/4-in DA finish nails have lived in my kit for the past few weeks—on cabinet face frames, window stool returns, thin casing to jamb, and crown details where I’m fastening to blocking rather than chasing studs.

What they are and what they’re for

These are 15-gauge, 34-degree DA-style angled finish nails with a bright (uncoated) finish, smooth shank, and a chisel point. They’re glue-collated in standard strips and come 1,000 to the box. The chisel point is there to help reduce splitting, and the bright finish clearly positions them for interior work. If you need corrosion resistance, you’ll want the galvanized version instead.

That 1-1/4-in length is often overlooked, but it shows its value on delicate profiles, returns, and any trim that can’t tolerate a long fastener punching through or telegraphing. If you’re fastening 5/8-in or 3/4-in material to a solid substrate (jambs, blocking, plywood carcasses), this length makes a lot of sense.

Compatibility and fit

They’re DA-style, 34-degree nails, which matters. Not all 15-gauge angled nailers are the same; DA and FN are different ecosystems. In my shop, they fit and ran cleanly in two DA-style guns—one pneumatic and one cordless. If your tool is FN-style, these won’t seat properly. Check your magazine markings before you buy.

Collation is tidy: strips are straight, the glue bond is consistent, and I didn’t find stray resin chunks that sometimes cause feed hiccups. The strips survive normal handling in a tool bag without shedding nails.

Drive performance

With depth-of-drive set appropriately, these nails leave a clean, easily filled pinhead in paint-grade trim and a small, manageable hole in stain-grade hardwoods. I drove them into poplar, pine, maple, and oak. Here’s what stood out:

• Minimal splitting in softwoods: The chisel point does its job. Even near edges in poplar, I had fewer hairline splits than I typically expect from a 15-gauge. That said, respect the grain—at 15-gauge, you can still split brittle profiles if you crowd an edge.
• Straight tracking: Grain-following was present but controlled. Keeping the nose square to the work and avoiding angling across grain minimized drift. In 3/4-in oak face frames, exits were a nonissue at this length.
• Consistent countersink: At 90–100 PSI on a pneumatic gun and the medium setting on my cordless, I got a predictable 1–2 mm set below the surface without crushing the fibers around the hole. No mushrooming or ragged entry on pre-primed MDF.
• Jams and misfires: None in roughly 500 fasteners. That’s not a lifetime test, but it’s a good sign that the wire diameter and collation are well matched to DA magazines.

Holding power and use cases

A smooth shank 15-gauge nail has better holding power than a brad but less than a ring-shank finish nail. In practice:

• For attaching thin casing to jambs, window stool returns, crown to solid blocking, and cabinet face-frame trim, the hold is more than adequate, especially with a bit of construction adhesive behind larger pieces.
• On baseboard to stud work, 1-1/4 in is borderline. If you’re going through 3/4-in base plus 1/2-in drywall, you simply don’t have much left to bite the stud. This length shines for base cap, shoe molding, and detail strips—not as your primary baseboard-to-stud fastener.
• On MDF, the 15-gauge profile can bruise edges if you’re heavy-handed. Depth-of-drive and nose placement matter. In very delicate trim profiles, I’ll drop to 16 or 18 gauge and reserve these for spots where I need that extra grip.

Material and finish considerations

The bright, uncoated finish is ideal for interiors and shop projects. There’s no thick galvanizing to mar the hole edge, which helps keep the entry clean in stain-grade work. The tradeoff is corrosion resistance: these will rust if exposed to moisture. Don’t use them in bathrooms with persistent humidity issues, exterior trim, or anywhere else that might get damp. DeWalt offers galvanized versions that fill the same dimensional niche if you need weather protection.

One more finish detail: bright nails can occasionally darken tannin-rich woods if moisture is introduced. I didn’t see any reaction in oak or maple during normal indoor use, but if you’re working in a high-humidity environment or doing water-based staining shortly after nailing, be mindful and test on a scrap.

Handling and cleanup

Glue-collated nails sometimes throw strings or leave residue in the nose of the tool. With these, any glue smear was minimal, and a quick wipe of the driver channel at the end of the day kept things clean. The strips break cleanly at the last nail without shattering the tail.

The nail heads are small and uniform. Filler sits well in the recess with no “volcano” around the hole, which speeds up finish work. In paint-grade trim, a single pass with lightweight spackle and a damp rag was usually enough.

Value and packaging

A box of 1,000 is the right scale for this length. It’s easy to burn through the common 2-in or 2-1/2-in sizes on a big job, but 1-1/4-in nails are more task-specific. The packaging holds up to jobsite abuse and keeps the strips aligned. Weight is low enough that tossing a box in the pouch isn’t a burden.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Length-specific: Don’t expect these to serve as your all-purpose 15-gauge nail. They’re too short for baseboard-to-stud or heavy casing through drywall.
• Smooth shank: Great for clean removal if you ever need to adjust, but not as tenacious as ring-shank options in end grain or high-stress spots.
• Bright finish: Strictly interior. If there’s any chance of moisture exposure, step up to galvanized or stainless.
• DA-only: If your gun takes FN-style 15-gauge nails, these won’t be compatible.

Tips for best results

• Choose length by substrate: Use these for trim-to-jamb, to blocking, or to plywood carcasses. Go longer when you need to hit studs.
• Mind the edges: Keep at least 3/8 in from fragile edges on MDF and pre-primed profiles to avoid splits or bruising.
• Set the depth early: Dial in your depth-of-drive on a scrap of the actual material you’re installing and stick to it—especially with stain-grade work.
• Pair with adhesive: For larger profiles (crown, wide casing), a bead of construction adhesive plus these nails makes a rattle-free assembly without over-fastening.
• Check your nailer style: Confirm DA compatibility and 34-degree magazine before you stock up.

The bottom line

As a purpose-built fastener for interior trim where a short, stout nail is the right call, these 1-1/4-in, 15-gauge DA finish nails perform exactly as they should. They feed reliably, drive cleanly, resist splitting better than most in their class, and leave tidy holes that are quick to fill. The bright finish is appropriate for indoor work, and the glue collation is consistent enough to keep jams at bay.

Recommendation: I recommend these for anyone who already runs a 15-gauge DA-style nailer and needs a dependable short-length option for interior trim, especially for returns, thin casing to jambs, crown to blocking, and cabinet details. They’re not a one-size-fits-all solution—reach for longer fasteners when you need stud penetration and a galvanized version for exterior or damp areas—but within their niche, they’re reliable, clean-driving, and easy to work with.