Purpose The use of flexible connections throughout the steel structures provides a high level of stiffness compared to that of fully welded connections. Flexible connections allow for rotation to an extent, which make them perform better during earthquake than welded connections. In hanger connections, the applied load produces tension in the bolts and bolts are designed for tensile forces. When the deformation of the flange plate is equal to that of the bolts, a plastic hinge is formed in the flange plate at the weld line and the bolts are pulled to failure. If the attached plate is allowed to deform, additional tensile forces called prying forces are developed in the bolts. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes the results of investigation on prying force in T-stub connection fabricated with normal grade bolts and high strength friction grip (HSFG) bolts. Finite element analysis has been carried out by creating models and analyzing the effect of external tensile force and bolt force. For different grades of bolt (4.6, 8.8, 10.9, 12.9), the prying force is calculated. Findings It is found that prying force is increasing with the change in grade of bolt used from normal to HSFG. The results obtained from analysis using IS 800:2007 codal provision are also included. It is observed that HSFG bolts do not allow for any slip between the elements connected and hence rigidity is increased. Originality/value The prying force mainly depends on geometrical parameter of the connection. In this research work, the variation of prying force was studied based on the variation in dimensions of T-stub angle section and bolt grade (4.6, 8.8, 10.9, 12.9). The method of obtaining prying force from bolt load and applied load is a unique approach. The results of FE analysis is validated with the analytical calculation as per IS 800:2007 code provisions, which shows the originality of the research.