Drill bits for drilling subterranean boreholes and mechanically locked cutter elements for same

A cutter element assembly for a fixed cutter drill bit, the cutter element assembly comprising:

• a cutter element carrier configured to be fixably attached to a cutter-supporting surface of a blade of the fixed cutter drill bit, wherein the cutter element carrier has a central axis, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a radially outer cylindrical surface extending axially from the first end to the second end, and a receptacle extending axially from the first end;
• and
• a cutter element having a central axis oriented parallel to the central axis of the cutter element carrier, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end of the cutter element, wherein the cutter element includes a substrate and a cutting layer fixably attached to the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a shaft extending from the second end of the cutter element and a head, wherein the cutting layer is fixably attached to the head and is disposed at the first end of the cutter element;
• wherein the shaft of the substrate is slidingly disposed in the receptacle with the head seated against the first end of the cutter element carrier;
• wherein the cutter element is axially locked relative to the cutter element carrier such that the cutter element is prevented from moving axially relative to the cutter element carrier;
• wherein the radially outer surface of the cutter element carrier includes a planar flat extending axially from the first end to the radially outer cylindrical surface of the cutter element carrier, wherein the planar flat is configured to be used to pry the cutter element axially from the cutter element carrier.