--- title: The Difference Between Rails with M6 and Rails with 10/32 Tapped Holes description: Have you ever laid awake at night pondering the difference between rails with M6 and rails with 10/32 tapped holes? What does a tapped hole even mean? And what is a cage nut? image: https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/A5998036-F04F-B085-ACAE07FE82159B73_blogdetailimage.png --- BLOG # The Difference Between Rails with M6 and Rails with 10/32 Tapped Holes Posted by [The Team at CXtec](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/author/the-team-at-cxtec) on Mar 21, 2023 11:22:52 AM Have you ever laid awake at night pondering the difference between M6 and 10/32 tapped holes? Have you ever laid awake at night pondering the difference between M6 and 10/32 tapped holes? While we hope it is not keeping you up at night, it is certainly a question worth asking. I've enlisted the help of Great Lakes Case and Cabinet to help distinguish between the two and possibly solve a problem for you at the same time. ## M6 The M6 has a 3/8 square opening/hole that accepts 6mm hardware, Rapid Rail mounting, and cage nuts. Great Lakes has standardized the M6 for its rails (although 10/32 tapped holes rails are available upon request). ## Tapped Holes Basically, a tapped hole is a hole that contains internal threads. The 10/32 tapped holes accept screws that have 32 threads per inch. This is the original standard for 19 rack mount holes, but isn't as common now, due to the possibility of the threads being stripped or damaged or a bolt breaking off, thus making the mounting hole unusable. ## Now Introducing: The Cage Nut Nowadays most server racks have square holes. Rapid Rails can automatically latch into the square holes, allowing boltless mounting and making easy installation and removal of hardware. A cage nut is a square nut that has threaded holes wrapped in a cage-like enclosure. Older equipment meant for racks with tapped holes can still be used if you use a cage nut. Cage nuts can be snapped into the square hole and be converted to a threaded hole. So there you have it: the difference between M6 and 10/32 tapped holes. Now you can sleep. ### Archive - 2025 [ Jan ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2025/01) [ Mar ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2025/03) - 2024 [ Jun ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2024/06) [ Jul ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2024/07) [ Aug ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2024/08) [ Sep ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2024/09) [ Oct ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2024/10) [ Nov ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2024/11) - 2023 [ Mar ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2023/03) [ May ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2023/05) [ Jun ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2023/06) [ Jul ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2023/07) [ Sep ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2023/09) [ Dec ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/archive/2023/12) ### Recent Posts [![](https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/TH5-Bailly_CPO_image.webp) ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/co-packaged-optics-end-of-pluggables-what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-who-needs-to-pay-attention) ###### [Co-Packaged Optics...](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/co-packaged-optics-end-of-pluggables-what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-who-needs-to-pay-attention) Introduction: A New Chapter in Optical Connectivit [![](https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/analyzing-impact-data-centers.png) ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/low-loss-fiber-connectivity-for-ai) ###### [Low-Loss Fiber...](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/low-loss-fiber-connectivity-for-ai) Low-loss fiber connectivity is essential for... [![](https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/pizza.webp) ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/smart-cabling-organization-can-save-your-project) ###### [Smart Cabling...](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/smart-cabling-organization-can-save-your-project) Starting a data center hardware upgrade is a... ### Posts by Tag - [data center (12)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/data-center) - [Fiber Optic Cables (11)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/fiber-optic-cables) - [Cabling (7)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/cabling) - [NETWORKING (6)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/networking) - [Structured Cabling (6)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/structured-cabling) - [Fiber Optic Cabling (5)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/fiber-optic-cabling) - [Fiber Cable (4)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/fiber-cable) - [Networking Cables (4)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/networking-cables) - [Fiber Cables (3)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/fiber-cables) - [IT Infrastructure (2)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/it-infrastructure) - [Port Replication (2)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/port-replication) - [Sustainability (2)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/sustainability) - [AI (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/ai) - [Brocade (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/brocade) - [Carbon Offsetting (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/carbon-offsetting) - [FCOE Works (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/fcoe-works) - [Hardware Security (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/hardware-security) - [ICLs (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/icls) - [IT Equipment (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/it-equipment) - [IT Network (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/it-network) - [IT infrastructures (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/it-infrastructures) - [POE (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/poe) - [Switches (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/switches) - [Tapped Holes (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/tapped-holes) - [data centers (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/data-centers) - [hardware (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/hardware) - [infrastructure (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/infrastructure) - [storage (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/storage) - [strategy (1)](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/tag/strategy) [See all](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/difference-rails-m6-rails-10/32-tapped-holes/#) ### Popular Posts [![](https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/TH5-Bailly_CPO_image.webp) ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/co-packaged-optics-end-of-pluggables-what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-who-needs-to-pay-attention) ###### [Co-Packaged Optics...](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/co-packaged-optics-end-of-pluggables-what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-who-needs-to-pay-attention) Introduction: A New Chapter in Optical Connectivit [![](https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/3D3A0A3C-EF1B-A824-AABDA2C4F4AAF9B5_blogdetailimage.jpg) ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/cat6-cabling-big-deal-awg/) ###### [Cat6 Cabling: What...](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/cat6-cabling-big-deal-awg/) Why does the gauge matter in my network’s racks?... [![](https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/undersea%20fiber%20cables.webp) ](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/how-undersea-fiber-cables-power-the-global-internet-the-internets-arteries) ###### [How Undersea Fiber...](https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/how-undersea-fiber-cables-power-the-global-internet-the-internets-arteries) The internet may feel like an invisible, instant... ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "The Team at CXtec", "url" : "https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/author/the-team-at-cxtec" }, "dateModified" : "2023-03-21T15:22:52.269Z", "datePublished" : "2023-03-21T15:22:52.000Z", "headline" : "The Difference Between Rails with M6 and Rails with 10/32 Tapped Holes", "image" : [ "https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/A5998036-F04F-B085-ACAE07FE82159B73_blogdetailimage.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/difference-rails-m6-rails-10/32-tapped-holes/", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/CABLExpress-logo-8.png" }, "name" : "CXtec" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "The Team at CXtec", "url" : "https://www.cxtec.com/blog/author/the-team-at-cxtec" }, "dateModified" : "2023-03-21T15:22:52", "datePublished" : "2023-03-21T15:22:52", "headline" : "The Difference Between Rails with M6 and Rails with 10/32 Tapped Holes", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 668, "url" : "https://20998321.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20998321/A5998036-F04F-B085-ACAE07FE82159B73_blogdetailimage.png", "width" : 1000 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.cablexpress.com/blog/difference-rails-m6-rails-10/32-tapped-holes/", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 84, "url" : "https://www.atlantixglobal.com/hubfs/Atlantix-Global-Website/Logos/ATLANTIX_color.png", "width" : 163 }, "name" : "CXtec" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Syracuse", "postalCode" : "13202", "streetAddress" : "400 South Salina St. Suite 201" }, "alternateName" : "cablexpress.com", "contactPoint" : { "@type" : "ContactPoint", "contactType" : "customer service", "email" : "service@cablexpress.com", "telephone" : "+13154763100" }, "logo" : "https://www.cablexpress.com/hubfs/cablexpress_website/logo.png", "name" : "CABLExpress®", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/CXtec78/", "https://twitter.com/CABLExpress", "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRqoaVfCfkwJRcVs-VgAY2A", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/cablexpress/" ], "url" : "https://www.cablexpress.com/" } ```