Abstract: A surface-mounted fuse has a hollow, open-ended insulating fuse body with a square sided central portion terminating in opposite, preferably square-sided, recessed, tapered end portions. A pair of preferably square-sided conductive end caps are provided having end walls respectively confronting the open ends of the fuse body and side walls enveloping the tapered end portions thereof. The side walls of the end caps define annular tapered cavities to receive without compressing the fuse wire one or more bent back ends of a fuse wire. The recessing of the tapered end portions of the fuse body provides axially outwardly facing abutment shoulders which limit the extent to which the end caps can be moved over the fuse body during assembly. The end walls of the end caps are then spaced from the ends of the fuse body to form outer spaces of greater size than the fuse element thickness, so that the ends of the fuse element are not compressed between the end cap end walls and the ends of the fuse body.