PDQ MR Series

What the PDQ MR Series Mortise Lock Is

The PDQ MR Series is a Grade 1 extra heavy duty mortise lock assembled in Leola, Pennsylvania, and certified to ANSI/BHMA A156.13 Operational Grade 1 and Security Grade 1 - both grades, not just operational. Every lock body ships with an armor plate over the cylinder pocket, a hardened steel barrier that resists drilling attacks without requiring a separate purchase or field installation.

The MR designation references the mortise retrofit design intent. The case is built to fit standard ANSI A115.1 mortise door preparations, which makes the MR Series the practical choice for renovation and replacement projects where the door already has a mortise prep. The lock body drops into the existing pocket without modifying the door.

PDQ cycle-tested the MR Series to over 11 million cycles. ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 requires 1 million cycles minimum. PDQ's own testing exceeds that by eleven times - a margin that reflects the product's intended market: government buildings, hospitals, universities, schools, and institutional facilities where a mortise lock on a main corridor door sees several hundred operations per day.

PDQ MR Series: J Trim vs F Trim

The MR Series catalog on this page splits into two trim families. The trim series determines the escutcheon design and the available lever styles. The lock body and its function are the same across both.

J Series - wide escutcheon trim with a traditional commercial lever and rose. Lever designs available include Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, and Dallas. The J Series escutcheon functions only with deadbolt configurations - when you're specifying a J Series trim, the function must include a deadbolt. J Series trim meets Unified Facilities Guide Specification 08 71 0, which is the federal government specification for mortise hardware. If the project is a federal building, government office, or any project under federal procurement guidelines, the J Series is the correct trim specification.

F Series - flat plate or rose trim in a more contemporary profile. The F Series trim is available in satin chrome (US32D/626) as standard. Where the J Series escutcheon is the architectural choice for traditional commercial and government applications, the F Series works well on modern commercial construction where a cleaner plate profile is preferred.

Both series are field reversible for handling. All levers are ADA compliant. Knobs are not ADA compliant and should not be specified on any door on an accessible route.

PDQ MR Function Numbers Decoded

The three-digit function number after "MR" tells you everything about how the lock behaves. The most commonly specified functions in the MR Series and their applications:

MR113/MR148 - Classroom. Outside lever is fixed when locked. Key outside locks and unlocks. Inside lever is always free. MR113 is single cylinder, MR148 is the variant with classroom hold-back. Both serve classroom security lock requirements.

MR115 - Storeroom. Outside lever is always fixed. Key is always required to enter. Inside lever is always free. Standard specification for pharmacies, stock rooms, server rooms, and any space requiring always-locked outside entry.

MR116 - Entry. Outside lever free by key or thumbturn. Inside lever is always free. The standard office entry function.

MR126 - Passage. No key function. Both levers are always free. Used on interior doors where passage without credential is required.

MR128 - Institution with deadbolt. Outside lever controlled by key. Separate keyed deadbolt for additional security. Used on high-security institutional openings.

MR 199 A/200 - Electrified with REX (Request to Exit). Inside trim includes a request-to-exit switch that signals an access control panel when the inside lever is operated. For access-controlled entries where the inside egress must trigger an REX signal to the panel.

PDQ MR Series Replacement Parts and Service Orders

The "replacement parts" query we see consistently on this page reflects the MR Series' installed base. PDQ has been selling this product into institutions since the 1980s, and a lot of buildings are running MR Series locks that need trim, bodies, or cylinders replaced rather than full lock replacement.

PDQ sells lock bodies and trim separately - this is by design. If the trim is damaged but the lock body is functional, you order only J or F trim in the right function. If the body is worn but the trim is fine, you order only the lock body for the appropriate function group. The lock bodies in this catalog are organized by function group: single cylinder, double cylinder, non-keyed, electrified, and non-keyed deadbolt. Match the function group to the existing lock's function before ordering.

For cylinder replacement on MR Series locks, the standard mortise cylinder spec is 1-1/8 inch with a standard cam. Most Schlage, Corbin Russwin, Sargent, and Best mortise cylinders are compatible. If you're adding SFIC capability to an existing MR Series installation, note that SFIC and LFIC prep is not available for functions 257, 259, and 260.

PDQ Door Hardware Pricing and Where to Buy

PDQ MR Series locks are not sold through retail or big-box distribution. They're specified through architectural hardware consultants and purchased through authorized commercial hardware dealers. Americanlocksets.com is an authorized PDQ dealer with current stock across the full J and F Series catalog. The prices listed in this catalog reflect authorized dealer pricing, not inflated list prices.