Sargent 8271 Electromechanical Mortise Lock - Fail Secure - Body Only

The Sargent 8271 is the fail-secure electromechanical version of the Sargent 8200 Series mortise lock, the platform widely treated as the benchmark for commercial mortise hardware. This listing is the lock body only, which means it ships as the electrified chassis without trim or cylinder, so you specify the lever, rose or escutcheon, and mortise cylinder separately to match your project. It's the lock contractors and integrators reach for when a door needs to tie into access control and stay locked if the power ever drops.

What fail secure means on the 8271

This is the detail that matters most, so it's worth being precise. Fail secure (Sargent's 71 function) means the outside lever stays locked when there's no power, and energizing the lock unlocks the outside lever for entry. Cut the power, whether from an outage or a system fault, and the door stays secured. The inside lever is always free, so egress is never affected. That behavior is what you want in offices, labs, secure storage, server rooms, and any opening where a power loss should never leave a secure area standing open.

The opposite behavior is fail safe (the 8270), which unlocks on power loss for openings governed by egress or fire rules. Choosing between them is a code and security decision per opening. Helpfully, the electromechanical 8200 locks are field-selectable between fail safe and fail secure, so if a door's fail mode changes during construction, you usually don't have to swap the lock. For a full breakdown of the function codes, our Sargent 8200 Series mortise lock guide walks through every option.

Sargent 8271 specifications

• Series: 8200 Series electromechanical mortise lock, fail secure (71 function).

• Configuration: Lock body only. Ships have less trim and fewer cylinders. Specify lever, rose/escutcheon, and mortise cylinder separately.

• Voltage: 12 or 24VDC, with EcoFlex technology that cuts power draw substantially versus older electrified mortise locks.

• Grade: ANSI/BHMA A156.13 Series 1000 Grade 1, exceeding Grade 1 in independent strength and cycle testing.

• Construction: Heavy-duty cast stainless steel chassis, wrought steel hubs, high-carbon steel spring cartridge, stainless latchbolt with 3/4 inch projection, anti-friction reversible.

• Fire and code: UL and cUL listed for 3-hour fire doors, positive-pressure UL 10C. Meets A117.1 accessibility.

• Handing: Field reversible without opening the case.

• Options: RX (request-to-exit) available by specifying the RX prefix, which monitors lever rotation and signals your access control panel. Compatible with Degree, Signature, KESO, and XC security key systems.

• Integration: Works in stand-alone applications or as part of an integrated access control system.

• Warranty: 3-year limited on electromechanical components, 10-year limited on mechanical components.

Why specify the Sargent 8271 mortise lock

When integrators put the 8271 on a cut sheet, it's usually for two reasons: the 8200 chassis is genuinely one of the toughest mortise bodies made, and the electrified version is efficient enough to run on the same low-power circuits as a modern access control system. The EcoFlex power reduction matters at scale, because a building with dozens of electrified openings adds up fast on draw and on power-supply sizing. If you're weighing it against a Schlage L-Series electrified mortise, the 8200's heavier-gauge chassis and tighter hub are the usual reasons specifiers favor it on high-cycle, high-abuse doors.

Because this is the body only, plan the rest of the opening before ordering: lever style, trim, mortise cylinder and keyway, voltage, and whether you need the RX option. The 8200 lever designs also carry across Sargent's 80 Series and P Series exit devices, so you can keep one lever look building-wide.

Order the Sargent 8271 from American Locksets

We stock Sargent electrified mortise locks from authorized distribution, so every lock ships with a real manufacturer warranty. Browse related hardware in the commercial locks category, and read the full Sargent 8200 Series mortise lock guide to confirm your function, trim, and keying.