📏 REFERENCE · SIZES, DIAMETERS & LENGTHS

Gundrill Sizes & Standard Diameters

The quick reference for specifying a gundrill: standard diameter ranges from the major toolmakers, how drill length is calculated and written (d1 / l1 / l2), stock depth series, and the driver and coolant-hole options you need to put on an order.

Ø0.9–60 mmdiameterStandard range across makers
2–30×Dstock depthsCommon ex-stock series
Up to 5,000 mmlengthbotek max special
L = N+W+B+F+LAformulaISCAR length rule

Standard Diameter Ranges by Maker

Gundrill diameter ranges differ by construction type (solid carbide, brazed head, indexable). These are the published catalogue ranges:

Maker / seriesConstructionDiameter rangeNotes
Gühring EB 100Solid carbide, single fluteØ1.2–12 mm stock; Ø0.9–16 mm specialFlute length to 500 mm
Gühring EB 80Brazed carbide headØ3.97–22 mm stock; Ø2–40 mm specialTotal length to 3,000 mm
Gühring ZB 80Two-fluteØ2–22 mmCast iron & aluminum
Gühring EB 800Brazed carbide headØ12–24 mm stock; Ø12–52 mm specialLarger brazed series
botek Type 110 / 112Solid carbide tip (112 = step)Ø1.850–51.200 mmMax length 5,000 mm
botek Type 111Steel body, brazed blade + padsØ5.800–60.009 mm—
botek Type 01Steel body, indexable insertsØ12.000–43.990 mmOn-machine insert change
botek Type 115 / 114Brazed head (115 drill / 114 trepan)Ø2–51.2 mm (115); Ø11–50 mm (114)—
ISCAR GD-DHIndexableØ9.9–43.99 mmHead lengths by diameter band
Mitsubishi MVS / MGS-MGDSolid carbidefrom Ø1.0 mmStock depths 2/7/12/20/25/30×D
Taegutec TRGD / TRGD3Indexable holderØ10–36 mm (to 40)10–25×D holders
💡 Read the catalogue, not the general rule: the smallest practical gundrill is about Ø0.9–1 mm, and solid-carbide tooling covers most of the Ø1–12 mm band. Above ~Ø12 mm, brazed and indexable constructions dominate, and each maker has its own size grid — check the current catalogue before ordering a special.

How Gun Drill Dimensions Are Written

Manufacturer dimension tables use the same four letters (HARTNER example):

SymbolMeaning
d1Cutting diameter (mm or inch)
d2Shank diameter (h6 tolerance)
l1Overall length
l2Flute length
l3Shank/clearance section length

Representative HARTNER single-flute (E 80) values:

d1 (mm)d2 h6 (mm)l1 overall (mm)l2 flute (mm)
3.97 (5/32 in)10.0230185
10.0020.0400350
12.70 (1/2 in)20.0500450
19.05 (3/4 in)32.0715650
25.40 (1 in)32.0910845
⚠️ Total length is not drillable depth: the flute length (l2) is what reaches into the hole — the shank, driver and a short clearance section stay outside. Order against the depth you actually drill, not the overall length.

The ISCAR Length Calculation

To order a gundrill for a specific hole, ISCAR’s formula sizes the flute and overall length:

L  =  N + W + B + F + LA
Ls =  N + W + B
SymbolMeaningTypical value
NRegrinding allowance (= carbide head length H − D)varies with size
WHole depth to be drilledyour print
BChip-evacuation clearance behind the hole250 mm (gundrill machine); 2×D, min 15 mm (machining center)
FTool approach allowance10 mm
LADriver lengthyour driver (e.g. 70 mm)

Worked example (ISCAR): drill a Ø10 mm hole 500 mm deep with a 25×70 mm driver. With N = (35−10) = 25 mm: L = 25 + 500 + 250 + 13 + 70 = 858 mm overall; flute length Ls = 25 + 500 + 250 = 770 mm.

Stock Depth Series (×D)

Ex-stock gundrills are offered in fixed depth-to-diameter ratios, so the drill length tracks the hole L/D rather than absolute millimetres. A common solid-carbide stock series runs 2, 7, 12, 20, 25 and 30×D (Mitsubishi MVS example); specials extend far beyond. When ordering by ×D, always confirm whether the maker means flute length or overall length — they differ by the shank and driver.

✅ Matching the stock series saves money: stock 10–30×D drills cost a fraction of a made-to-length special. Size your hole L/D to the nearest stock series where the tolerance allows.

Driver & Coolant-Hole Options

Driver / shank types (ISCAR): central clamping surface (15°), frontal clamping surface, cylindrical with thread (M6–M24), VDI design, hexagonal, tapered, trapezoidal thread, and spray-mist types — pick the one that matches your machine’s driver or toolholder.

Coolant-hole designs (botek): a kidney-shaped coolant hole at small diameters, switching to 1-hole or 2-hole designs as diameter grows — flow capacity scales with the hole area, which is why small drills need much higher coolant pressure.

💡 Tolerance note: solid-carbide gundrill diameters are typically ground to +0.014/0 mm at the small end (Mitsubishi, Ø1–2.9 mm). Specify the finished hole tolerance, not the drill size, and let the toolmaker grind to it.

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