8500 Series Narrow Stile Rim Exit Device

The Sargent 8500 Series is a narrow design rim exit device from Sargent's 80 Series  a single-point rim bolt locking system for narrow stile applications on aluminum, metal, and wood doors, UL listed for panic and fire exit hardware, ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1. American Locksets has stocked Sargent 80 Series exit devices since 2001. Free shipping on orders over $300 and same-day shipping available. 

What the Sargent 8500 Series Is

Narrow Design. Rim Bolt. Three Door Types.

The 8500 is Sargent's narrow design rim exit device  built for door stiles where the hardware profile needs to stay slim while still delivering commercial Grade 1 performance. The defining technical feature is the rim bolt: a single-point locking mechanism that engages the door jamb strike when the door closes, retracting fully when the push bar is depressed for egress.

What separates the 8500 from the other narrow stile devices in the 80 Series is door material flexibility. The 8400 Series (AD8400) CVR is aluminum-specific. The 8500 rim device works across all three door material types  aluminum frame full-glass doors, hollow metal, and wood  on a single device platform. That versatility makes the 8500 the go-to specification when the door schedule includes multiple material types and the hardware consultant needs one narrow stile device family to cover all of them.

Sargent 8500 vs 8400 vs 8300: Choosing the Right 80 Series Narrow Device

Single Point vs Two Point vs Mortise

Getting the right narrow stile exit device starts with understanding how these three product families differ from one another  because the wrong choice means a door modification after install, not just a hardware swap.

The 8300 Series is the narrow design mortise exit device for wood and metal doors. It uses an integrated mortise lock body and through-bolted trim. It's single-point locking at the latch side, and it requires a mortise pocket in the door. Full-glass aluminum doors don't have a mortise pocket, so the 8300 doesn't apply there.

The 8400 Series (AD8400) is the narrow stile concealed vertical rod (CVR) device for aluminum doors only. Two-point locking  top and bottom rods both engage when the door closes. The concealed rods route inside the door stile. The 8400 requires a hollow aluminum stile with at least 1-3/8 inch square inside dimension. That requirement is what makes it aluminum-specific.

The 8500 Series is the narrow design rim device for aluminum, metal, and wood. One rim bolt, one locking point at the latch side, no mortise pocket required, no hollow stile routing required. The device mounts on the surface of the door frame with standard machine screws. It's the simplest installation profile in the narrow stile family, and the broadest door type compatibility.

Sargent 8500 Series Specifications

Door types: Wood or metal, 1-3/4 inch (44mm) standard thickness. For doors over 1-3/4 inch to 2-1/4 inch thick, specify thickness and order with the 31- prefix.

Minimum stile width: 1-3/4 inch (44mm).

Rim bolt: Single-point locking. Quiet operation design  the rim bolt engages the strike at the door jamb without the mechanical noise associated with heavier multi-point locking systems.

Rail sizes (door width determines suffix): E Rail for doors 24 to 32 inches wide. F Rail for 33 to 36 inches. J Rail for 37 to 42 inches. G Rail for 43 to 48 inches. Standard bars require no cutting when installed at maximum width for the rail size.

Dogging: Hex key dogging standard on non-fire-rated devices. Cylinder dogging (16- prefix) available  Sargent #41 mortise cylinder supplied. Fire-rated devices cannot be dogged.

Cylinder override: Not available on 8500 Series devices. This is a confirmed specification restriction that most competitor pages miss entirely. If your application requires cylinder override, the 8300 or 8900 mortise series is the correct specification path.

Fire rating: 12- prefix designates UL10C positive pressure fire exit hardware. UL305 panic hardware listed.

Certifications: ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1. UL listed panic and fire exit hardware. Florida Building Code (FBC) listed.

Mounting fasteners: Machine screws standard.

Functions Available in the Sargent 8500 Series

Night Latch, Exit Only, and More

The 8500 Series ships in the four-letter function code system that identifies how outside entry operates. All products currently in the 8500 Series category are night latch and exit only configurations  the most commonly specified functions for the narrow stile rim device.

8504  Night Latch: Key from outside retracts the rim bolt for entry. The outside trim is non-functional without a key. Standard for exterior narrow stile doors where authorized re-entry is required. Available in all four rail widths:

The Sargent 8504E is the 32-inch night latch model for door openings up to 32 inches. The Sargent 8504F covers 36-inch openings  the most commonly specified size. The Sargent 8504J handles 42-inch doors. The Sargent 8504G covers 48-inch applications.

8510  Exit Only / Dummy Trim: No outside entry operation. Push bar retracts bolt from inside for egress; no outside cylinder or lever. For stairwell doors, mechanical rooms, fire exit corridors, and restricted-access applications. Shop the Sargent 8510E-32D for the 32-inch exit only model in satin stainless.

8513  Classroom Function: Outside lever locks when inside cylinder is turned, key retracts lever from outside. Standard K-12 classroom lockdown configuration on narrow stile aluminum-framed corridor and classroom doors.

8515  Passage Function: Outside lever always active for bidirectional free egress. Uncontrolled access points during business hours.

8506  Storeroom: Outside lever always locked. Key entry only. Inside lever always provides instant egress.

Cylinder Dogging and Electric Options on the 8500 Series

Cylinder Dogging (16- Prefix)

Cylinder dogging eliminates the hex key from the daily door management routine. Instead of inserting a hex key to hold the push bar depressed for free passage mode, a key in the outside cylinder turns the device to free egress position and releases it. The Sargent 16-8504F 32D is the cylinder dogging, night latch, 36-inch model in satin stainless. The Sargent #41 mortise cylinder ships with the device.

Electric Latch Retraction (56- Prefix)

The 56-ELR option adds a solenoid to the push bar for remote latch retraction. When the access control system sends a release signal, the solenoid retracts the rim bolt instantaneously for entry without anyone operating the push bar from inside. The Sargent 56-8504F 32D is the ELR, night latch, 36-inch model  the correct device for access-controlled narrow stile exterior doors.

Full Electric Options Suite

Beyond ELR and cylinder dogging, the 8500 Series supports a complete set of electrical options for integrated building security applications: 53-LX latchbolt monitor (signals when bolt is retracted), 54-outside lever monitoring, 55-REX request-to-exit signal from the push rail, 57-delay egress with electromagnets, 58-electric dogging (schedule-based passage mode), 59-Electroguard self-contained delayed egress, AL-alarm (battery-operated audible alert), PL-SARGuide photoluminescent coating, and TL-SARGuide illuminated touchpad.

The 59-Electroguard option delivers a code-compliant self-contained delayed egress solution  a 15-second alarm and delay triggered by push bar operation  without a separate controller. This is the correct specification for retail loss prevention, secured pharmaceutical storage, and other NFPA 101 delayed egress applications where the 8500's narrow stile profile is architecturally required.

Compatible ET Trims for the Sargent 8500 Series

The "-8" Suffix ET Trim Series

The 8500 Series uses the "-8" suffix ET trim series  not the plain ET trims for the 8300/8900/8700 devices and not the "-4" series for the 8400/8600. Specifying the wrong trim suffix is the most common ordering error on 8500 installations.

The Sargent 715-8 ET_ passage trim provides passage function (outside lever always active) for 8500 and 8800 rim and NB8700 vertical rod devices. The Sargent 713-8 ET_ classroom trim delivers one-turn classroom lockdown for K-12 and institutional corridor applications. The Sargent 743-8 ET_ freewheeling classroom trim adds a freewheeling outside lever to the classroom function  the lever spins freely when locked, giving no physical feedback to an unauthorized user attempting forced entry. The Sargent 740 ET_ and 710 ET_ pull-only and freewheeling pull-only trims are compatible across the 8300, 8500, 8700, 8800, and 8900 device families.

Why Specifiers Choose the Sargent 8500 Series

The 8500 isn't specified just because it fits a narrow stile door  it's specified because it solves problems that narrow stile hardware routinely creates for architects, facilities managers, and security integrators. The door material flexibility alone eliminates the multi-catalog specification problem: one 8500 device family covers aluminum storefront, hollow metal, and wood in the same building without separate product families or different installation templates. The full electric options suite means the 8500 grows with an access control upgrade without requiring device replacement. The rim bolt design delivers quiet, consistent single-motion egress with minimal maintenance  a critical characteristic in high-cycle institutional applications where a malfunctioning exit device is a code violation, not just an inconvenience.

The restriction on cylinder override is worth knowing before you specify: on the 8500 Series, there is no cylinder override option. That's an architectural decision, not a product limitation to work around. If outside cylinder override of the inside trim is required, the 8300 or 8900 mortise series is the path. For every other narrow stile exit application  retail, office, school, healthcare, government  the 8500 covers the full requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions: Sargent 8500 Series

Q: What door types work with the 8500 Series? 

Wood, metal, and aluminum  all three. Standard 1-3/4 inch thickness. Doors over 1-3/4 inch to 2-1/4 inch require the 31- prefix when ordering.

Q: Is cylinder override available on the 8500? 

No. Cylinder override is not available on the 8500 Series. If you need cylinder override, specify the 8300 or 8900 mortise series instead.

Q: What's the difference between the 8500 and 8400 Series?

 The 8400 (AD8400) is a CVR device for aluminum doors only  two-point locking. The 8500 is a rim device for aluminum, metal, and wood  single-point locking.

Q: What does "12-" mean on a Sargent 8500 device?

 The 12- prefix designates the fire-rated version. It's UL10C listed. Fire-rated devices cannot be mechanically dogged  hex key and cylinder dogging are not available.

Q: What rail size do I need for a 36-inch door? 

F Rail, sized for door openings 33 to 36 inches. The 8504F and 8510F are the standard 36-inch models.

Q: What ET trims are compatible with the 8500? 

The "-8" suffix series: 713-8, 715-8, 743-8, 706-8. Also the non-suffixed 710 ET_ and 740 ET_ pull-only trims work across multiple 80 Series families.

Q: Can the 8500 be electrified for access control? 

Yes. ELR (56-), electric dogging (58-), Electroguard delayed egress (59-), latchbolt monitor (53-), and REX signal (55-) are all available.