BEST 9K30N Grade 1 Passage Lever Set

About this item

The BEST 9K30N is the passage function model in BEST's 9K Series heavy duty cylindrical lever platform  non-keyed, ANSI F75, both levers always free, through-bolt mounted, UL listed for 3-hour fire doors, and tested to exceed 10 times the BHMA Grade 1 criteria. American Locksets stock the 9K30N across lever styles, rose types, and finishes. 

What "9K30N" Means

The model number breaks down cleanly. "9K" is the series  BEST's heavy duty Grade 1 cylindrical lever platform. "30" is the non-keyed housing designation: no cylinder, no core prep, no keyway. "N" is the passage function. ANSI F75: both levers always unlocked, latch retracts freely from either side, neither lever can be locked by any means. This is the correct hardware for corridors, connecting rooms, interior office hallways, conference rooms, and any opening where free two-way traffic flow is the design intent and access control is not required.

Why a Passage Set Needs to Be Grade 1

A common mistake in door schedules is specifying Grade 2 or residential hardware on interior commercial doors because those openings aren't keyed. Door grade isn't just about security, it's about mechanical durability under commercial cycle counts. A school corridor door with passage hardware gets opened 400 to 600 times a day. Grade 2 hardware is tested to around 250,000 cycles. The 9K30N is tested to exceed 10 times the BHMA Grade 1 criteria under UL testing. That's the durability gap that shows up as loose levers, sagging handles, and stripped chassis components within two to three years on under-specified interior openings.

The 9K30N also carries UL/cUL listing for 3-hour fire doors and meets ADA requirements under ANSI A117.1 section 404.2.6  meaning it's the correct specification for fire-rated corridor doors and ADA-compliant path-of-travel openings regardless of whether those openings are keyed.

9K30N Construction: What Makes It Heavy Duty

The rose locking pin and rose assembly prevent torsion attack; the pin resists twisting, bending, and breaking under lateral load on the rose face. Hardened steel through-bolt studs anchor the rose assembly through the full door thickness at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions, delivering torque resistance that surface screws alone can't match. The heavy rose liner material adds a further layer of impact resistance at the plate. Retractor springs are protected inside the die- cast hub; they prevent lever sag over years of high-cycle use and don't require resetting or replacement in normal service. The outside lever sleeve is a seamless one-piece hardened steel alloy construction with no seam at the locking lug area, maintaining structural integrity even under abusive lever force that would crack or deform a standard commercial lever sleeve.

Pre-assembled chassis design means installation completes in five steps out of the box  no field assembly of internal components before mounting.

Specifications

Model: BEST 9K30N

Series: 9K Heavy Duty Grade 1 Cylindrical Lever Set

Function: Passage (N)  ANSI F75. Both levers are always unlocked. Latch retracted by either lever. Neither lever can be locked. Non-keyed.

Backset: 2-3/4" standard. 3-3/4" available from the factory.

Chassis: 2-1/16" diameter for 2-1/8" door hole. Critical components are brass or corrosion-treated steel. Conforms to ANSI A115.2.

Latch: Solid brass, 9/16" throw. Front 2-1/4" x 1-1/8" beveled.

Door Thickness: 1-3/4" to 2-1/4" standard. Spacers available for 1-3/8" doors.

Strike: STK (2-3/4" x 1-1/8" curved lip with box) or S3 (4-7/8" x 1-1/4" curved lip, ANSI A115.2 for 1-3/4" doors)

Lever: High-quality zinc alloy, ~5/8" body diameter, ~4-3/4" handle length

Lever Styles: 14 (curved return), 15 (contour angle return), 16 (curved, no return). Levers 14 and 15 conform to California Title 19 and Title 24. All three conform to the Illinois Accessibility Standard.

Rose Options: D (3-1/2" convex), C (3" convex), K (3" convex, no ring), L (3-1/2" convex, no ring)

Projection: Approximately 2-3/4" when mounted on 1-3/4" door

Mounting: Standard ANSI A115.2 prep plus two 5/16" through-bolt holes at 12 and 6 o'clock positions

Options: Lost Motion feature (45° lever rotation without engaging retractor). UltraShield antimicrobial finish (626AM).

Certifications: BHMA A156.2 Series 4000 Grade 1. UL tested to 10x Grade 1 criteria. UL listed 3-hour A label, single or double swinging doors. ADA compliant per ANSI A117.1 section 404.2.6. Florida Building Code listed. California State Fire Marshal listed.

Full 9K Series for Complete Door Schedules

The passage function is the non-keyed baseline. The same 9K chassis, mounting prep, and through-bolt pattern carries every institutional function for keyed openings on the same door schedule: entrance (AB), office (B), storeroom (D), classroom (A), communicating (S), and more. Same lever style and finish options across every function  consistent appearance throughout the building without mixing hardware platforms.

American Locksets has stocked BEST 9K Series hardware since 2001.