The use of stainless steel in structural engineering applications is still seen by many architects and engineers as na extravagant solution. However, modifications of designers paradigms and changes in the construction market and the natural transition to a sustainable development reducing environment impacts have boosted the use of stainless steel structures. A substantial majority of stainless steel structural design codes is still based on carbon steel analogies. Despite this fact, the stainless steel presents foun non-linear stress versus strain curves (tension and compression, parallel and perpendicular to the rolling direction) without a defined yield plateau and strain hardening zones, substantially altering its global structural response. The present investigation adopted the austenitic stainless steel grade 304, duplex stainless steel grade 2205, ferritic stainless steel grade 430 and the carbon steel USI300, all with similar yield stresses but with different yield strength stresses and ductility capacities. Structural elements subjected to tension axial forces usually presents the net section rupture as one of its controlling ultimate limit states. The present study performed an experimental programme to evaluate and investigate the tension capacity of staggered bolted members. The tests were made with carbon and stainless steels to compare and access their similarities and differences in terms of structural performance. Thus it was possible to observe significant findings in the behavior of these bolted staggered members under tension forces. The controlling ultimate limit states were significantly influenced by various parameters like: the loading plate thickness, the rolling direction, adopted bolt configuration, and stainless steel properties like: ductility capacity and the ratio between the yield and ultimate rupture stresses.