By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

Adams Rite 4070: Matching Backset to a Narrow-Stile Door

A narrow-stile aluminum door doesn't leave much room to argue with. The stile is maybe an inch and three-quarters wide, the mortise cylinder has to clear the glass, and the deadbolt has to reach the strike without hitting anything on the way. The Adams Rite 4070 is a short-throw, projection-style deadbolt built for exactly that opening, and it ships in three backset lengths. Order the wrong one and the bolt either doesn't reach the strike pocket or binds against the door edge on the way out.

Three Backsets, One Deadbolt Family

The 4070 comes in a 7/8" backset, a 31/32" backset, and a 1-1/8" backset version, all sharing the same short-throw, flat-faceplate deadbolt design. Backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the cylinder bore — get that number wrong and the whole install stalls, because the bolt lines up with the wrong spot on the frame. This isn't a finish choice or a cosmetic option; it's a hole-in-the-door dimension, and it's measured, not guessed.

Before you order, pull the backset off the existing prep if you're replacing a deadbolt, or off the door manufacturer's spec sheet if this is new construction. Measure from the door edge to the center of the existing cylinder hole. If you're staring at a bare door with no prep cut yet, the general contractor's hardware schedule should already specify which Adams Rite backset the frame was designed around — don't assume 31/32" because it's the most common; storefront systems vary by manufacturer and by decade.

Why "Short Throw" Matters on This Family

All three 4070 backset variants are short-throw, projection-style deadbolts, which is the detail that makes them a narrow-stile part in the first place. A standard residential deadbolt throws roughly an inch; a narrow-stile aluminum door frame usually doesn't have the pocket depth to accept that, and a full-throw bolt on a thin stile is how you end up drilling into the glass stop or the weep system. The 4070's shorter throw is sized to seat fully in a narrow-stile strike without over-penetrating the frame.

Mortise Cylinder, Ordered Separately

Every 4070, regardless of backset, is a mortise-mount deadbolt body and takes a standard Adams Rite mortise cylinder — the cylinder itself is not included and gets ordered to match the keyway the building already runs. If you're rekeying an existing storefront, pull the old cylinder and match its keyway rather than guessing; if this is new construction, confirm the keyway with whoever's cutting the building's master system before the door goes in. Don't assume the cylinder from a different Adams Rite deadbolt family will interchange without checking — confirm mortise cylinder compatibility against the 4070's own spec sheet.

Pairing With an Electric Strike

If this door is getting access control instead of (or alongside) a keyed deadbolt, Adams Rite's own cross-reference for the 4070 points to its 7100/7130 electric strikes for remote release. That's a manufacturer cross-reference, not a guess — if you're speccing a storefront door for card access, the 4070's mortise body and the 7100/7130 strike family are meant to work the same opening together. We carry a related electric strike in the same Adams Rite family — see the Adams Rite 7400 for how a preload-rated strike behaves on a storefront door under wind load, and confirm frame prep matches before you order either part.

Finish and Faceplate

All three backset variants ship with a flat faceplate and are available across Adams Rite's standard storefront finish range, including Dark Bronze Anodized. Match the faceplate finish to the rest of the storefront hardware on the same door — a mismatched deadbolt on an otherwise uniform-finish entrance is the kind of detail a property manager notices after the invoice is paid, not before.

These are Buy American Act compliant, made in the USA, and carry Adams Rite's full manufacturer warranty — worth knowing if the job specs BAA-compliant hardware, which a fair number of government and institutional storefront jobs do. For the rest of the narrow-stile lineup — deadlatches, paddles, and exit trim built to the same stile constraints — the Adams Rite hub lays out the full family, and our MS1850 deadbolt guide covers the mortise-lock alternative for a glass storefront door that needs a different mounting approach.

Ordering for a Multi-Door Storefront

A strip mall or office building with a run of matching storefront entrances is the most common place this backset question comes up at scale. If the general contractor cut all the doors to the same prep, one confirmed backset covers the whole order — but don't assume every door on the property matches just because they look the same from the sidewalk. Storefront systems get swapped out door by door over the years as tenants change, and a building that's had three different glazing contractors over two decades can easily be running two backset lengths side by side. Measure a sample from each distinct door type before placing a bulk order, not just the first one you happen to be standing in front of.

Common questions

How do I measure backset on an existing narrow-stile deadbolt?

Measure from the edge of the door to the center of the cylinder bore. That distance is the backset, and it has to match one of the 4070's three offered lengths — 7/8", 31/32", or 1-1/8" — before you order a replacement.

Does the Adams Rite 4070 come with a cylinder?

No. The 4070 is a mortise-mount deadbolt body only; the mortise cylinder is ordered separately and matched to the building's existing keyway.

Why is the 4070 a "short throw" deadbolt instead of a standard one?

Narrow-stile aluminum doors don't have the pocket depth for a full-throw residential-style bolt. The 4070's shorter throw is sized to seat fully in a narrow-stile strike without over-penetrating the frame or hitting the glass stop.

Can I add access control to a door with a 4070 deadbolt already installed?

The 4070 is built to work alongside Adams Rite's 7100/7130 electric strikes for remote release, so a storefront door can carry both the keyed deadbolt and a card-access strike on the same opening. Confirm frame prep before ordering either part.

What backset should I order if I don't have the old part in hand?

Check the door manufacturer's hardware schedule or spec sheet first. Guessing the backset on a bare or already-prepped door risks a bolt that doesn't reach the strike pocket.