By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

The housing is easy. The cam is the part that has to fit.

A KSP 307 mortise housing looks like a simple part, and it is. It is a 1-3/8" mortise housing, sold less core. Every finish and cam we list carries the same price, so price will not help you choose. The cam on the back will.

The cam is the little arm on the tail of a cylinder that actually moves the lock mechanism. Get the wrong one and the cylinder turns freely, the key feels right, and nothing happens. The lock does not know a key was used.

The 307 comes with five cam choices in our catalog: a standard straight cam, an Adams Rite cam, a clover cam, a clover cam made for Schlage L, and a clover cam made for Sargent. Here is how I would match them.

The 600: standard straight cam

The listing calls it a standard straight cam. The part number carries a 600. In satin chrome that is the 307-600-26D, the one we keep the deepest stock of.

A straight cam is the default. It is the right answer when you are replacing a cylinder in a lock that already takes a straight cam and the old one was a standard part. Pull the old cylinder. If the cam at the tail is a plain bar, you are looking at a 600.

Do not assume. The plain bar looks like the answer to everything, and that is how people end up with a cylinder that turns and does not throw the bolt.

The 601: Adams Rite cam

The 307-601-26D carries an Adams Rite cam. The name says what it is for: the Adams Rite storefront lock family. If you have a narrow stile aluminum door with a deadlatch or deadbolt that came from that maker, this is the cam you are looking for. We wrote up that door type in the Adams Rite MS1850 article.

It comes in more finishes than most: satin chrome, bright chrome, satin bronze, bright brass and oil rubbed bronze.

I do not have a drawing of the cam profile in the listing, so I will not describe its shape. Match by the lock name on the old unit, then confirm against the old cam.

The 602: clover cam

The 307-602-26D has a clover cam, the generic one. A clover cam is shaped differently from the straight bar, and it fits locks built to take that shape. Where the old cylinder has a clover cam and the lock is not one of the two named below, this is the cam.

It is the smallest group in the catalog, with satin bronze, oil rubbed bronze and satin chrome. If you need a large run, ask us before you promise a date to the customer.

The 602-L and 602-S: clover cam for Schlage L and for Sargent

These two are the reason I would not buy the generic clover cam first. The listings name the lock family the cam is for.

The 307-602-L-26D is the clover cam for Schlage L. That is the Schlage L mortise family, and we have written about two of its members: the L9000 function guide and the L9080 coastal door guide.

The 307-602-S-26D is the clover cam for Sargent. Sargent mortise cylinders have their own habits, and the part number names the match so you do not have to guess.

Where the lock name is known, buy the named cam. The generic clover is for when you do not know, and in that case you should be measuring and checking before you order, not after.

Length: 1-3/8" or 1-3/4"

Every cam has a length variant. The standard housing is 1-3/8". The extended version is 1-3/4". Satin chrome is the finish listed in long form for the standard, Adams Rite and clover cams, for example the 307-600-26D LONG. Sargent clover long housings are also listed in several finishes.

The long housing is for a door that is thicker than the standard cylinder can reach. A heavier door, or one with a thick face plate, sets the length. A cylinder that is too short will not reach the lock. One that is too long sticks out of the face and looks wrong. Measure the old one, not the door.

The long versions are the lower-volume parts, which is another reason to confirm length at the quote, not the order.

Finishes

The finish codes are the BHMA ones you know: 03 bright brass, 04 satin brass, 10 satin bronze, 10B oil rubbed bronze, 26 bright chrome, 26D satin chrome. Not every cam comes in every finish, and the short list is the clover cam, which stops at satin bronze, oil rubbed bronze and satin chrome in the generic version.

Match the finish to the hardware around it. A satin chrome cylinder on an oil rubbed bronze door stands out in a way a customer will notice.

Side by side

Part (satin chrome)	Cam	Built for
307-600-26D	Standard straight	Locks that take a straight bar
307-601-26D	Adams Rite	Adams Rite storefront locks
307-602-26D	Clover	Locks built for a clover profile
307-602-L-26D	Clover, Schlage L	Schlage L mortise locks
307-602-S-26D	Clover, Sargent	Sargent mortise locks

Buying the core

These are housings, less core. You still need a core to go inside, and a keyway to match the building. We cover the KSP SFIC core and how it compares to a Best keyway in the KSP SFIC core article. If you are replacing a cylinder with a different cam and a different length, the Ilco mortise cylinder guide covers the same measuring steps from the other side.

Mistakes I see

Ordering by lock brand alone. The housing, the cam and the length are three separate decisions.

Assuming a clover cam is a clover cam. The Schlage L and Sargent clover cams are named for their locks. Use them.

Measuring the door instead of the old cylinder. The old cylinder already tells you the length.

Ignoring the 306. There is a 1-1/4" six pin housing, the 306-600-04, in satin brass. It is a 1-1/4 inch body, a quarter inch shorter than the 307.

Common questions

Does the housing come with a core?

No. The listing says less core. You buy the core separately.

Are all five cams the same price?

Yes. The five cams carry the same price in the listings I checked.

What does 6/7 pin mean?

The listing says the housing is a 6/7 pin mortise housing. That ties it to the pin count of the core you fit. I do not have the core format for the housing spelled out beyond that, so confirm it with us before you order cores.

Is there a rim version?

Yes, a separate rim housing. The 308 rim housing and the 317 tapered head housing are both on our KSP page.

The full range is on our KSP page. Send a photo of the old cylinder tail and we will match the cam.