Read an item's technical characteristics

Part of these button learning paths: Research All Open Solicitations · Just My Opportunities · Machine Shops Opportunities · Unfulfilled NSN Opportunities · Search by NSN/NIIN · APL/AEL Historical · DLA Prime Contractors · Naics To FSC Cross · Commercial Part Number to NSN · Weapons System Designator Codes

Application path: Main Menu → NSN Opportunities → an NSN → the NSN in the solicitation results → Tech. Characteristics.

Use this screen to compare an item's recorded dimensions, material and other characteristics with the part you make or supply. The NSN in the heading identifies the item being described.

Example: inspect a hexagon-head cap screw

  1. Open NSN Opportunities and select 5305007262550, described as SCREW,CAP,HEXAGON HEAD.
  2. In the solicitation results, select 5305007262550 again to open the item page.
  3. Choose Tech. Characteristics.
  4. Read the Requirement and Reply together. The example shows a nominal fastener length of 1.750 inches, nominal thread diameter of 0.625 inches, 18 threads per inch and UNF thread series.

Technical characteristics for the screw

This example was viewed October 21, 2026. It also lists steel as the material, zinc and chromate as the surface treatment, and a minimum tensile strength of 150,000 pounds per square inch. These are characteristics of the selected stock number, not a description of every cap screw.

Read the three columns

Column Meaning and use
MRC The code identifying the characteristic being described. Use the adjacent plain-English Requirement to understand the row.
Requirement The name of the characteristic, such as THREAD LENGTH, MATERIAL or SURFACE TREATMENT.
Reply The recorded value for that characteristic, including its unit and any minimum, maximum or nominal designation.

For THREAD LENGTH, the reply gives a minimum of 1.500 inches and a maximum of 1.688 inches. Read both limits rather than treating either number as the only permitted length. FASTENER LENGTH is a different row: it describes the overall fastener length, not just the threaded portion.

Some replies may be blank; HEAD STYLE is blank in this example. A blank is not a technical description. Use the item's drawing and the current solicitation when you need information that is not supplied here.

Return to the item

Choose Back to return to the item page. From there, Award History shows past purchases, while MCRL lists part-number and company references for the same item. These answer different questions: characteristics describe the item; award history shows its buying history; references help identify associated part numbers.

Manufacturer example

For a stock item named in a request for quotation, compare each displayed requirement and reply with the part you propose to supply and the required specification revision. Include the exact characteristic statement and its MRC when asking an engineer about a mismatch. Return to the item page to review its reference parts, documents and past awards.