Rivet Gun Guide: Types, Sizes, and When to Use Rivets Over Screws

How Pop Rivets Work

A blind rivet has a hollow body and a mandrel (stem) running through it. You drill a hole through both pieces, insert the rivet, and squeeze the rivet gun handles. The gun pulls the mandrel, which swells the back of the rivet body into a flange that clamps the materials together. The mandrel then snaps off at a designed break point, leaving a flush or near-flush joint.

The joint strength comes from the clamping force between the rivet head on the front and the formed flange on the back. Unlike screws that can back out, the rivet is permanently deformed — it cannot loosen without being drilled out.

Rivets are sized by body diameter (the hole size needed) and grip range (the total material thickness they can clamp). Common diameters are 1/8, 5/32, and 3/16 inch. Grip range must match your stack-up thickness — too short and the flange does not form properly; too long and the joint is loose.

Types of Rivet Guns

A hand rivet gun uses lever action to pull the mandrel. You squeeze the handles one or more times until the mandrel breaks. These are inexpensive, portable, and adequate for occasional use — installing a few dozen rivets for a gutter repair, license plate bracket, or sheet metal patch.

A long-handled or compound-leverage hand gun reduces the grip force needed for larger rivets. Standard hand guns struggle with 3/16 and 1/4 inch rivets in steel — the force required is uncomfortable after a few rivets. Longer handles or compound mechanisms cut the effort significantly.

A pneumatic rivet gun uses air pressure to pull the mandrel in a single trigger pull. These handle high-volume work and larger rivets without hand fatigue. Essential for auto body work, HVAC fabrication, and any job involving hundreds of rivets.

A battery-powered cordless rivet gun offers pneumatic convenience without an air compressor. These have become practical tools in the last few years, running on standard 18V/20V platforms. The tradeoff is weight and cost, but for field work without air supply they are excellent.

Rivet Materials and Selection

Aluminum rivets in aluminum material is the most common combination for lightweight, non-structural applications: gutters, trim, ductwork, license plates, and decorative panels. Aluminum is easy to pull and corrosion-resistant.

Steel rivets provide much higher shear and tensile strength. Use them when the joint is structural — brackets, equipment mounts, trailer repairs, and heavy sheet metal. Steel rivets in steel material creates the strongest blind rivet joint, but requires more pulling force.

Stainless steel rivets resist corrosion in outdoor and marine environments. Use them for exterior applications where aluminum would eventually corrode from galvanic contact with dissimilar metals or salt exposure.

Never rivet dissimilar metals without considering galvanic corrosion. Aluminum rivets in steel, or steel rivets in aluminum, create a galvanic cell in the presence of moisture. Use stainless steel or matching-material rivets to avoid this problem.

When to Rivet vs Screw vs Weld

Use rivets when: you can only access one side of the joint, the joint must resist vibration loosening, you are joining thin sheet materials that would strip or deform with screws, or you need a flush and clean appearance on the back side.

Use screws when: you might need to disassemble the joint later, the materials are thick enough to hold threads, or you need adjustable clamping force. Rivets are permanent — removal means drilling them out.

Use welding when: maximum strength is required, both sides are accessible for cleanup, materials are compatible for fusion, and the parts will never need to separate. Welding is stronger than riveting but requires skill, equipment, and compatible base metals.

Rivets excel on automotive body panels, ductwork, gutters, signage, thin metal enclosures, and any application where a clean, permanent, vibration-proof joint is needed without backside access.

Frequently Asked Questions