What it is — Beau 38731 series
The Molex 387317216 is a 16-circuit, single-row barrier block in the Beau 38731 series, rated 20 A per circuit at 300 V with a 0.438-inch (11.12 mm) pitch. The black thermoplastic housing carries a UL94 V-0 flammability rating across an operating range of -40°C to 100°C, and the flange feature allows direct panel or chassis mounting without a DIN-rail clip. Top termination uses screws with a captive plate — the plate holds the wire against the bus bar before the screw clamps down, reducing the risk of a stranded wire birdcaging under torque. Bottom termination is a 0.250-inch Quick Connect (insulated), providing a secondary disconnect point for load-side leads. The dual-wall (2-wall) barrier construction encloses the live bus between moulded sidewalls, which is the key structural difference from an open-deck terminal strip.
Wire gauge and termination match
The top screw terminals accept 12–22 AWG conductors; the captive plate design helps seat fine-strand wires cleanly before final clamping. Bottom quick-connect tabs are 0.250-inch (0.250") insulated disconnects — confirm the corresponding load-side tab matches before specifying the panel harness. The 20 A per-circuit rating at 300 V sits comfortably within the wire gauge range for Class B wiring in most panel power-distribution applications.