By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

Fire-rated frames are not something you cut into and figure out later. Put an electric strike into a rated opening without the right listing behind it and you've created a re-certification headache for the building on top of the install itself. That's the constraint that rules out most standard strikes the moment the frame carries a fire rating.

This is a bigger deal than it sounds like on paper. A fire door assembly, frame included, is certified as a unit. Field-modify a rated frame with hardware that isn't listed for that use and you've technically voided the labeled assembly, whether or not anyone catches it on the next inspection. The strike manufacturer's own listing is what lets an inspector sign off on the opening without a full re-certification process. Skip that and you're either explaining yourself at inspection or hoping nobody looks closely.

Built for the fire-rated retrofit specifically

The HES 8300C is the fire-rated version of HES's concealed 8000-series strike, and it's built around that exact constraint. Same no-cut installation as the standard 8000, same vertical adjustability for lining up the keeper on an existing frame, but carrying a UL 10C fire rating and NFPA 80-07 compliance on top of it. That compliance is the entire reason to spec this part over a cheaper non-rated strike: it means you can put an electric strike into an existing fire-rated opening legally, without triggering a re-certification of the frame itself.

Skip a non-rated strike on a rated door because it's a few dollars cheaper, and you've put the building's fire certification at risk over a part that costs less than an hour of labor. Not worth it.

What it actually handles

The 8300C is built for cylindrical locksets up to a 5/8" latchbolt, holding 1,500 lbs static and 70 ft-lbs dynamic force. It runs dual voltage, 12/24 VDC/VAC, and it's PoE friendly, so it fits into a Power-over-Ethernet access control deployment without a separate low-voltage power run to the frame. Faceplates cover the common frame conditions: 801 for ANSI metal, 801A for aluminum, plus 802, 803, and 805 for wood applications. The Complete Pac configuration ships in satin stainless steel (630) with the 801 and 801A faceplates already included, so the two most common frame conditions are covered out of the box.

That matters on a retrofit where you don't know the exact faceplate condition until the old hardware comes off the frame. Having both the ANSI metal and aluminum plates in the box instead of ordering one and hoping it's the right guess saves a second trip for a part that costs almost nothing next to the labor of coming back out. If the frame turns out to be a wood application instead, the 802, 803, and 805 plates are available separately to cover it, but they're not bundled in the standard Complete Pac the way the two metal options are.

Plain strike or latchbolt monitor

Two ways to order this: the base 8300C, or the 8300C-LBM with a built-in latchbolt monitor. The LBM version reports door position back to the access control panel, so the system knows whether the latch is actually seated, not just whether the strike fired. On a door where the access panel needs real door-status feedback instead of a fire-and-forget release signal, spec the LBM. On a simpler application where the strike just needs to release on command and nobody's monitoring latch state downstream, the base 8300C does the job for less money and one less wire to land at the panel.

I'd default to the LBM on any opening tied into a monitored access system, because a strike that fires but doesn't confirm latch state is a blind spot the integrator will end up chasing eventually. On a standalone door with no monitoring behind it, that feedback isn't buying you anything, so the plain 8300C is the right call.

Wiring runs the same either way for power to the strike itself. The only extra pull with the LBM version is the monitor circuit back to the panel, which most integrators are already running conduit for anyway on a door that's part of a real access control system. It's not a second install trip, just two more conductors in the same pull.

Where this sits against HES's other strikes

Our HES 1006 vs 1500 piece covers the card-reader retrofit decision for a non-rated metal frame, and our HES 9600 piece covers the windstorm-rated coastal application. Neither of those carries the fire listing this one does. If the opening is fire-rated, the 8300C is the strike in the lineup built for that specific constraint; don't substitute one of the others because it's already in stock on the truck.

Lock Depot stocks the 8300C complete kit and the 8300C-LBM with latchbolt monitor, both ready to ship. Full strike lineup lives on the HES hub.

Common questions

Can I use a standard electric strike on a fire-rated door instead?

No, not if the opening needs to hold its fire rating. A standard strike without UL 10C listing and NFPA 80-07 compliance risks the frame's certification. Use a strike built and listed for the rated retrofit, like the 8300C.

Does the 8300C require re-cutting the frame?

It doesn't. It uses the same no-cut installation as HES's standard concealed 8000-series strike, with vertical adjustability to line up on the existing keeper location.

What's the difference between the 8300C and the 8300C-LBM?

The LBM version adds a latchbolt monitor that reports door-latch position back to the access control panel. The base 8300C releases on command but doesn't report latch status.

What lockset sizes does it work with?

Cylindrical locksets with a latchbolt up to 5/8". Confirm the latchbolt size on the existing lockset before ordering.

Is the 8300C PoE compatible?

Yes. It's dual voltage (12/24 VDC/VAC) and PoE friendly, so it can run off a Power-over-Ethernet access control deployment without a separate power run.