Socket shoulder screws (also called stripper bolts) are ground to very close tolerances, with a thick shoulder usually running 80 percent of the length of the shaft. In measuring the socket shoulder screw, it is the diameter and length of its shoulder that determines its size. The socket shoulder screw does not have a point. The socket head is a recessed head in which the sides of the recess are parallel to the body axis, into which a wrench fits.

Socket shoulder screws are used in applications requiring low limited clearance, where parts may not be thick enough to be counterbored, and/or where loading capacity is not critical.