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    • BEST

    BEST Access Systems Locks, Cores, and Keys

    Massive USA Inventory | In-Stock & Ready to Ship | Expert Technical Support

    Running a complex master key system? Don't guess on your hardware. Lock Depot stocks commercial-grade BEST SFIC cores, mortise locks, and cylindrical hardware. Call our on-staff specialists at 877-365-5625 for volume quotes or system configuration help.

    BEST Access Systems makes commercial-grade locks, cores, and key systems for the institutional market — hospitals, universities, government facilities, and high-security commercial buildings. The brand is owned by dormakaba and has been a staple in institutional access control since the interchangeable core market developed.

    The reason facilities professionals specify BEST is the core system. BEST pioneered the small format interchangeable core (SFIC) — a removable cylinder that drops in and out of the lock body with a control key, no tools required. One SFIC-compatible lock chassis works across the 45H mortise, 9K cylindrical, and T Series deadbolt lines. When a facility needs to rekey a building or expand a master key system, they swap cores — not hardware.

    Product Lines

    45H Series — Heavy-Duty Mortise Lock

    The 45H is BEST's flagship institutional mortise lock. It accepts 7-pin Best cores, supports visual occupancy indicators (important for restrooms and conference rooms), and handles the abuse that hospital corridors and university dormitories deliver daily. Lever handles are field-reversible. Functions cover the standard commercial range: storeroom, entry, classroom, office, and privacy.

    Our team frequently recommends the 45H for high-abuse university dorms and hospital corridors because the field-reversible levers save massive installation time when you're dealing with mixed-handed doors. A job with 200 doors across a residence hall wing — half left-hand, half right-hand — does not require two separate SKU pulls. Reverse the lever on site. That alone cuts staging time in half.

    Grade 1 ANSI/BHMA rated.

    Shop 45H Series locks →

    9K Series — Heavy-Duty Cylindrical Lock

    The 9K is BEST's heavy-duty cylindrical line for doors that don't need a mortise cut. It takes the same SFIC cores as the 45H, so facilities running mixed hardware can still use one master key system across both. Available in Grade 1. Functions include passage, privacy, entry, classroom, and institutional.

    Shop 9K Series locks →

    9KW Series — Electromechanical Cylindrical Lock

    The 9KW is the wired electromechanical version of the 9K. Same heavy-duty cylindrical chassis, same SFIC core compatibility, with fail-safe or fail-secure solenoid options added. Used when a door needs card reader or push-button release tied to the lock itself rather than a separate electric strike.

    Shop 9KW Series locks →

    T Series — Tubular Deadbolt

    The T Series is BEST's tubular deadbolt for secondary or standalone applications — storage rooms, utility closets, secondary egress doors. Single-cylinder and double-cylinder configurations. Same BEST core compatibility as the cylindrical and mortise lines, so it folds into an existing master key system without a separate cylinder order.

    Shop T Series deadbolts →

    SFIC Cores and Key Blanks

    BEST's interchangeable core is the reason facilities specify this brand and stay on it. The 1C-prefix SFIC drops into any BEST-compatible lock body. Available in 6-pin and 7-pin configurations across A, B, C, D, G, J, K, and TD keyways. Uncombinated cores ship ready for your key cutter — we stock them specifically for shops that cut their own keys on site. Combinated cores ship cut to your bitting.

    If you need to match an existing system, tell us the keyway when you call — A, B, C, and common derivative keyways are the most frequent requests, and we can combinate to an existing A, B, or C master keyway or supply uncombinated stock for your own pinning. The keyway determines what keys will work across your system; getting it wrong at order means a dead core at installation.

    Key blanks cover the full BEST keyway library including the W-series premium keyways.

    Shop BEST SFIC cores and keys →

    Pro Tip: The Control Key Rekey

    The single best reason to specify BEST hardware at the start of a project rather than retrofit it later: the control key. When BEST SFIC cores are in place, a locksmith can rekey the entire building without removing a single lock from a door. Insert the control key, pop the core out, drop a new core in. No lockouts, no door off its hinge, no labor premium. On a 200-door hospital wing, that pays for the hardware premium many times over.

    Series Comparison

    Series Type Core ANSI Grade Best For
    45HMortiseSFIC (7-pin)Grade 1Hospitals, universities, high-traffic institutional
    9KCylindricalSFIC (7-pin)Grade 1Commercial and institutional, lighter mortise budget
    9KWElectromechanical cylindricalSFIC (7-pin)Grade 1Card-reader integration, solenoid-released doors
    T SeriesTubular deadboltSFIC-compatible—Storage, secondary doors, utility rooms
    1C CoresSFIC core——Rekeying, new installs, master key expansion

    FAQ

    Does BEST hardware work with other SFIC cores from different manufacturers?

    No. BEST SFIC cores use BEST's proprietary keyway geometry. Arrow and KSP make cores that accept BEST keyways, but you cannot drop a Corbin Russwin IC core into a BEST lock body. The lock and core have to come from the same SFIC family or a confirmed compatible cross.

    What is the difference between a 6-pin and 7-pin BEST core?

    Pin count determines the depth of the key system — 7-pin cores allow for more key combinations in a large master key system before bitting conflicts arise. Large institutions with hundreds of doors typically spec 7-pin. Smaller facilities or single-tenant buildings often run 6-pin without issue.

    Can I order cores uncombinated?

    Yes. Uncombinated (sometimes marked UC or UN in the SKU) means the core ships without any bitting cut. Your key machine cuts it to your system. Combinated cores ship pre-cut to a bitting you specify at order — typically used for replacement cores in an existing system.

    What finishes does the 45H come in?

    Common architectural finishes including 605 (bright brass), 606 (satin brass), 612 (satin bronze), 619 (satin nickel), 622 (matte black), and 626 (satin chrome). Not every function ships in every finish — check the specific SKU.

    Is BEST hardware available for behavioral healthcare environments?

    Yes. BEST makes a dedicated behavioral healthcare line (SEDA, SPSE, SPSL, SSRL) for psychiatric and correctional facilities. These are not stocked in our standard catalog. Contact us for a quote on behavioral healthcare hardware.

    Confused by Keyways or Pin Counts? Talk to a Human.

    BEST interchangeable cores can get complicated if you're matching an existing system. Before you order the wrong J or D keyway, talk to our support desk. We don't use automated phone trees — you'll get a knowledgeable hardware professional ready to pull the product off the shelf and verify it for you. Call 877-365-5625.

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    BEST Access Systems is a dormakaba brand.

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