The cylinder is the only part of a storefront a burglar can reach from the sidewalk, and the easiest part to change. Here is how a mortise cylinder comes out and goes in, how to size it, which finish to choose for a gray, bronze or black door, and when a service call saves a second trip.
In short: A storefront door lock is a mortise cylinder threaded into an Adams Rite-type deadlock or deadlatch in the door stile. To replace it: open the door, remove the faceplate screws on the lock edge, back off the small set screw that holds the cylinder, unscrew the cylinder counterclockwise from the outside, thread in the new one to the same depth with the cam facing the right way, re-tighten the set screw and test the key and the bolt with the door open and closed. The parts are a standard 1 5/32"-32 thread; what varies is the length (1" to 1 1/2"), the cam, and the finish. We stock cylinders in aluminum (gray, mill finish) and dark bronze, and matte black to order. If the door was forced, the lock body and the strike usually need attention too, so schedule a service call and we bring the cylinder, the lock and the latch guard in one visit.
Almost every aluminum storefront door in New York uses the same lock family: a narrow-stile mortise lock in the door edge, Adams Rite being the original maker and the name the trade uses for the type, with a mortise cylinder screwed into it from the outside. The cylinder is the part with the keyway; the lock is the box inside the stile that throws the bolt or latch. They are separate parts, and that is why the cylinder can be changed in minutes without touching the lock, and why a worn lock cannot be fixed by changing the cylinder.
Three things identify the cylinder you need: its length (1", 1 1/8", 1 1/4" or 1 1/2", measured from the face of the head to the back; the right length puts the cylinder face flush with the trim ring and the cam inside the lock), its cam (Adams Rite MS cam for a deadlock, a different cam for a deadlatch or a Yale-type lock; the wrong cam turns but does nothing), and its keyway (Schlage C and Kwikset are the common residential keyways; most storefront cylinders in the city come in Schlage C or in the interchangeable-core format a locksmith re-keys). The thread, 1 5/32" by 32, is the same across brands.
A handy owner can do this on an undamaged door in fifteen minutes with a screwdriver. The reasons to call us instead: the door was forced and the lock or stile is bent; the cylinder spins without unlocking (the cam or the lock is broken); the key is snapped off inside; you do not know the length, cam or keyway; or the building wants the new cylinder keyed to its master system. Those are the calls we take most, and they are easier for everyone if we come once with the right parts than if a cylinder is bought and found not to fit.
Mortise cylinders come in the standard architectural hardware finishes, and the right one is the one that matches the door, not the lock. We keep two in stock because they cover nearly every storefront in the city:
The photograph above is the typical emergency result: a bronze-tone latch guard and collar on a black door, installed with whatever the locksmith had on the truck at 11 pm. It works. It also tells a customer that the door has been broken into. When we replace a cylinder we match the finish of the door and the pulls, and if the latch guard is the wrong color we swap it at the same time; a guard is a ten-dollar part and a five-minute change.
The cylinder is the only part of the storefront a burglar can attack from the sidewalk with small tools. Three failures account for most storefront break-ins we are called to repair:
The lock body and the strike matter as much as the cylinder: a strong cylinder in a lock whose bolt only throws half an inch into a bent strike is not secure. That is why on a forced door we look at all three, and why a deadlock with a 1" or 1 3/8" hook bolt or long-throw bolt is often the real fix on a door that has been pried. Insurance adjusters ask about the same things after a loss: the grade of the lock, the bolt throw and whether the cylinder was protected.
We replace cylinders on storefront, lobby and office doors across the five boroughs, Long Island and New Jersey, usually in the same visit as the other hardware the door needs: glass, closers, pivots, pulls, latch guards, strikes and exit devices. To make the visit a single one, schedule a service call with three things: a photo of the lock edge of the door with the faceplate on, a photo of the outside cylinder with a tape measure across it, and the finish of the door (gray, bronze, black). From those we bring the right length, cam and finish, plus a guard collar if the door does not have one. If you need the cylinder keyed alike with other doors or to a master key, send a sample key and we have it keyed before we arrive.
For the rest of what goes wrong on a storefront door and how we fix it, see storefront repair and storefront door design: stiles, pulls and closers.
The threaded lock cylinder, with the keyway, that screws into the mortise lock in the edge of an aluminum storefront door. It is a separate part from the lock body and is changed from the outside without removing the lock.
Measure the old cylinder from the face of the head to the back end: 1", 1 1/8", 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" are the standard lengths. The cam type depends on the lock (Adams Rite MS deadlock, deadlatch or other), and the keyway should match the keys you want to keep using.
On an undamaged door, yes: remove the faceplate on the door edge, loosen the set screw, unscrew the old cylinder, thread in the new one to the same depth, tighten the set screw and test with the door open and closed. Call us if the door was forced, the cylinder spins without unlocking, a key is broken off inside, or the cylinder must be keyed to a master system.
Aluminum (gray, mill or clear anodized), dark bronze and black are the storefront finishes; brass and satin chrome are available for lobby doors. We stock aluminum and dark bronze and order black to match.
The part is inexpensive; the cost is mostly the service call, so it is cheapest when combined with other hardware or glass work on the same door. We quote from photos of the lock edge and the cylinder before coming out.
Only if the new cylinder is better protected than the old one: a Grade 1 or high-security cylinder, a guard collar or latch guard against wrenching, and a lock whose bolt throws fully into a sound strike. We check all three on a service call.
Yes. Re-keying or replacing the cylinder at every turnover is the cheapest security measure a business has; keys that cannot be accounted for are the most common way a storefront is entered without force.
Yes. We bring the finish that matches the door and the pulls, and we replace a mismatched latch guard at the same visit.
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About this page. Written by Alex GC Inc. d/b/a Alex Glass Construction and reviewed before publication by Aleksandr Chernovolenko, Managing Partner, with our design and estimating lead and a field foreman. Our foremen hold the NYC DOB Site Safety Training supervisor card and our crews the 40-hour worker card; we are certified to fabricate, install and service Alutech and Everest aluminum systems. Facts are drawn from our own projects, manufacturer test data and the applicable codes; where we are giving an opinion, we say so. Last reviewed November 2026. Credentials
Send two photos, the lock edge of the door and the outside cylinder with a tape across it, and the door color. We will bring the right cylinder, guard and strike in one visit.
