Here's a story we missed back in 2006: the HurriQuake Nail, Stanley Bostitch's advanced entry into the ring-shank nail market. Developed by a team led by engineer Ed Sutt (now with Simpson Strong-Tie), the HurriQuake nail has aggressive rings on the end of the shaft to bite into framing members, a smooth shank on the upper portion so that sheathing isn't held away from the framing by the rings, and a wider head to resist pull-through.
The new nail won a " Best of What's New" award from Popular Science in 2006 — which may not impress you, but is rumored to impress some home-buyers. The PopSci.com videos aren't live any more, but there's a Bostitch's infomercial where you can see the nails go through laboratory testing to demonstrate their holding power.
Of course, you can also drive ring-shank nails by hand. And in Florida, at least, that's what you'll have to do if you don't find a ring-shank gun nail: Florida codes call for ring-shank nails on roof sheathing in all high-wind zones. There's good reason for it: Ring-shank nails have around twice the withdrawal resistance of smooth-shank nails. In a hurricane, that could be enough to save a roof — or a house.
