4-48 Taps | McMaster-Carr

A range of sizes that remove chips so they don’t ruin the threads or jam the tap. The spiral-point flutes force chips through the hole to prevent buildup and create threads faster than standard taps. Also known as gun taps.

High-Speed Steel

Image of Product. Front orientation. Taps. Chip-Clearing Tap Sets.

The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Gold Oxide—The finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

							Plug Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Thread Size	Thread Type	Flute Type	Container Type	Shank Type		Each
Gold Oxide



		19	0-80, 1-64, 1-72, 2-56, 2-64, 3-48, 3-56, 4-40, 4-48, 5-40, 5-44, 6-32, 6-40, 8-32, 8-36, 10-24, 10-32, 12-24, 12-28	UNF, UNC	Spiral Point	Metal Case	Square	00000000	0000000

Tap Sets

These sets include a variety of taps for threading holes so screws, bolts, and rods fit snugly.

High-Speed Steel—Single Thread Size Sets

Taper, Plug, and Bottoming

Chamfer Set

The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic. These sets include one of each chamfer type: Taper for starting holes and threading through holes; plug for through holes and blind holes; and bottoming for cutting the closest to the bottom of any hole.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

							Taper Chamfer, Plug Chamfer, Bottoming Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Tap Sizes Included	Thread Type	Container Type	No. of Flutes	Shank Type		Each
Uncoated



		3	4-48	UNF	Plastic Case	3	Square	00000000	000000


		Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated



				3	4-48	UNF	Plastic Case	3	Square	00000000	00000

High-Speed Steel—Multiple Thread Size Sets

Plug Chamfer Set

The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic. These sets include multiple sizes of plug chamfer taps for through holes and blind holes.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

						Plug Chamfer
	No. of Pieces	Tap Sizes Included	Thread Type	Container Type	Shank Type		Each
Uncoated



		19	1 each of sizes 0-80, 1-64, 1-72, 2-56, 2-64, 3-48, 3-56, 4-40, 4-48; 5-40, 5-44, 6-32, 6-40, 8-32, 8-36, 10-24, 10-32, 12-24, and 12-28	UNF, UNC	Metal Case	Square	00000000	0000000

Taps

Cut threads into holes so screws, bolts, and rods fit snugly. Our basic taps have straight flutes that are good for most jobs.

High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

Taper Chamfer—Good for both starting holes and threading through holes. These taps have the longest taper to gradually engage with the material, reducing the force needed to turn them. They can't reach the bottom of blind holes, however, so you will likely need to finish with a bottoming-chamfer tap.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type, these thread both through holes and blind holes. The tapered section is shorter than a taper chamfer and longer than bottoming chamfer. As a result, they're easier to turn than bottoming taps but require more force than taper taps.

Bottoming Chamfer—Cut all the way to the bottom of blind holes with taps that have the shortest taper. Since these require the most force to turn, they’re often used to finish holes started by taper- or plug-chamfer taps.

Number of Flutes—Taps with fewer flutes have more space to capture chips, so you won’t have to clear them as often. However, they can be more difficult to keep straight in the hole.

Taps Sold as Sets—Include one tap of each chamfer type.

	Taps														Taps Sold as Sets
						Drill Bit			Taper Chamfer		Plug Chamfer		Bottoming Chamfer
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	No. of Flutes	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type		Each		Each		Each	No. of Taps		Each
High-Speed Steel





				Uncoated

				4-48	9/16"	1 7/8"	UNF	3	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	00000000	00000	00000000	00000	00000000	00000	3	00000000	000000




						Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated

						4-48	9/16"	1 7/8"	UNF	3	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	00000000	00000	00000000	00000	00000000	00000	3	00000000	00000

Chip-Clearing Taps

Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes

Remove long, stringy chips to produce cleaner threads than standard taps. The flute design prevents buildup to protect the quality of the threads and avoid damage to the tap. Since you don’t need to reverse these taps to extract chips, they also create threads faster.

High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Uncoated—The economical choice, these won't last as long as coated taps.

Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated—Run at higher speeds and last twice as long as uncoated taps.

Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN) Coated—Resist heat, chipping, and wear for three times the life of uncoated taps.

Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes—Push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes. Also known as gun taps.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

					Drill Bit			Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each
High-Speed Steel





				Uncoated

				4-48	9/16"	1 7/8"	UNF	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	Plug	2	00000000	000000




						Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated

						4-48	9/16"	1 7/8"	UNF	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	Plug	2	00000000	00000




								Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN) Coated

								4-48	9/16"	1 7/8"	UNF	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	Plug	2	00000000	00000

Chip-Clearing Taps for Steel and Stainless Steel


Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes	Spiral Flute for Blind Holes

Made of a high-vanadium alloy, these taps are harder and more wear-resistant than other high-speed steel taps. The flute design prevents buildup to protect the quality of the threads and avoid damage to the tap. Since you don’t need to reverse these taps to extract chips, they also create threads faster.

High-Speed Steel—The most versatile taps resist heat and wear to stay sharp. They’re good for most metals and plastic.

Black Oxide—The dark finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes—Push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes. Also known as gun taps.

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes—Pull chips back toward the tap so they won't build up in blind holes. When tapping brittle material like iron that creates fine or powdery debris, choose a straight-flute tap.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

Bottoming Chamfer—These taps have the shortest taper to thread close to the bottom of blind holes. They require the most force to turn, so they’re often used to finish holes started by plug-chamfer taps.

					Drill Bit			Spiral-Point Flute for Through Holes				Spiral Flute for Blind Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each	Chamfer Type	No. of Flutes		Each
High-Speed Steel





				Black Oxide

				4-48	1/2"	1 7/8"	UNF	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	Plug	2	0000000	000000	—	—	———	0
				4-48	17/32"	1 7/8"	UNF	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	—	—	———	0	Bottoming	2	00000000	000000

Drill Taps

Spiral Flute

Drill holes and cut threads without switching tools. Made of high-speed steel, these taps are for use on most metal and plastic. The square shank is compatible with tap holders for drill presses and milling machines. All have a plug chamfer with 3-5 chamfered cutting threads, so they're suitable for start-to-finish tapping.

Uncoated High-Speed Steel—Uncoated taps are strong enough for most tapping jobs but have the shortest tool life.

Spiral Flute—Taps with spiral flutes keep chips clear by drawing them back toward the tap and out of the hole.

	Thread			Drill Bit							Plug Chamfer
	Size	Lg.	Overall Lg.	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Point Angle	Flute Type	No. of Flutes	Thread Type	Pitch Dia. Limit		Each
Uncoated High-Speed Steel



		4-48	3/8"	1 7/8"	42 Ga.	0.0935"	110°	Spiral	2	UNF	H2	0000000	000000

Chip-Clearing Taps for Nickel

Spiral Flute for Through Holes

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes

Avoid heat buildup that can deform material and prematurely wear taps when threading nickel alloys. The body on these taps narrows closer to the flutes for better coolant flow and less contact with the workpiece. Spiral flutes prevent stuck chips that can slow you down and decrease the quality of the threads.

Cobalt Steel—Tough and wear resistant, cobalt taps last twice as long as high-speed steel. They also can run at higher temperatures without damage to their cutting edges.

Black Oxide—The dark finish increases wear resistance and reduces friction to improve chip flow, so these taps can last 50% longer than uncoated taps.

Spiral Flute for Through Holes—Left-hand flutes push chips ahead of the tap and out of through holes.

Spiral Flute for Blind Holes—Pull chips back toward the tap so they won't build up in blind holes.

Plug Chamfer—Our go-to chamfer type. With a longer taper than a bottoming chamfer, they are easier to turn but won't thread as close the bottom of a hole.

						Drill Bit			Spiral Flute for Through Holes			Spiral Flute for Blind Holes
	Thread Size	Thread Lg.	Overall Lg.	Thread Type	Chamfer Type	Size	Decimal Size Equiv.	Shank Type	No. of Flutes		Each	No. of Flutes		Each
Cobalt Steel





				Black Oxide

				4-48	9/16"	1 7/8"	UNF	Plug	42 Ga.	0.0935"	Square	2	00000000	000000	3	0000000	000000