By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

One chassis, five ways to treat the outside of the door

The PHI 2300 Series Apex mortise exit device is one body with five prep numbers: 2301, 2302, 2303, 2305 and 2308. The chassis, the touchbar and the latchbolt are the same on all of them. What the number tells you is what the outside of the door is allowed to do. Pick the wrong number and you are either drilling a door that is already hung or sending a $1,800 device back.

PHI describes the Apex 2000 platform as investment cast steel, with universal mounting holes to make retrofits easier, and says it is aimed at high-traffic healthcare and education buildings. The 2300 devices are UL listed for panic hardware and certified to ANSI A156.3 Grade 1. The listings we carry here are the non fire rated versions. The fire rated ones carry an FL in front of the number, so FL2301 is a different part from 2301.

What all five share

• Grade: ANSI A156.3 Grade 1, UL listed for panic hardware.
• Fire rating: none on these listings.
• Handing: left hand reversible.
• Backset: 2-3/4".
• Door width: the listings we have are the 36" size, which covers a 2'-7" to 3' door.
• Latchbolt: stainless steel, deadlocking, 3/4" throw, anti-friction.
• Strike: S982 handed curved lip strike furnished standard.
• Dogging: 1/4" turn hex key.
• Stile: the wide stile door.
• Touchbar height: 39-15/16" from the floor as standard.

Two things are not in the box on any of them: the cylinder and the trim. You buy those separately, and the prep you choose decides which trim is even possible.

2301: exit only, cover plate on the outside

The 2301 is prepped for exit only with a cover plate. There is nothing to grab or turn on the outside, and nobody can come in through that door with a key. That is the right call for a rear exit, a stairwell door that opens onto the street, or any opening where you want people out and nobody in. The 2301-LHR-605-36 in bright brass is the one to look at, and it is also listed in satin brass. Because there is no outside trim, this is the simplest of the five to order and the hardest to get wrong.

2302: dummy trim

The 2302 is prepped for dummy trim. Dummy trim is a fixed pull on the outside. The door cannot be unlocked from that side; the pull is there so people can open it once it is released. If the door is exit only but you want a pull handle on the outside so people can tell it is a door, this is the prep. The 2302-LHR-605-36 has the same finish, same width and same price as the 2301 in our catalog, so choose it for how the door will look and be used, not for cost.

2303: key retracts the latchbolt

The 2303 is prepped for key retracts latchbolt. A cylinder on the outside pulls the latch back with a key, and the door can then be opened. That is the setup for a door where staff come in by key and the public goes out by the bar. Remember the cylinder is not included. The 2303-LHR-605-36 is the listing. If you have a keying system, order the cylinder to match it at the same time, because finding out on install day that the prep is right and the cylinder is wrong is a slow way to learn.

2305: key controls the thumb piece

The 2305 is prepped for key controls thumb piece. The outside trim has a thumb piece, and the key decides whether that thumb piece works. When it is live, a press on the thumb piece opens the door. The 2305-LHR-605-36 is the one for a door that should open to the public during business hours and lock down after, with the key switching between those states.

2308: key controls the lever or knob

The 2308 is prepped for key controls lever/knob. Same idea as the 2305 but the outside trim is a lever or a knob instead of a thumb piece. The key decides whether the lever turns. The 2308-LHR-605-36 fits a door where the staff expect a lever, and where plain habit says a lever is easier to use than a thumb piece. The catalog description does not say which lever or knob trim goes with it, so I will not guess here. Send us the trim you have in mind and we will confirm.

How to choose

• Nobody comes in from outside: 2301.
• Nobody comes in, but you want a pull on the outside: 2302.
• Staff come in with a key, and the key retracts the latch: 2303.
• Door is open to the public by day, key switches a thumb piece: 2305.
• Same, but the outside is a lever or knob: 2308.

Before you order

1. Measure the door width. The 36" listings suit a 2'-7" to 3' door. A wider door needs a different length.
2. Confirm a wide stile door. The listings say wide stile.
3. Check the backset is 2-3/4".
4. The device is left hand reversible, so there is no hand to choose.
5. Order the outside trim and cylinder with the device, since neither ships with it.
6. Decide the finish. We have bright brass and satin brass listed, and the satin brass is priced lower in our catalog.

Common questions

Is the PHI 2300 fire rated?

The 2301 through 2308 listings here are non fire rated. The fire rated versions carry an FL prefix and are separate parts.

Does the device come with a cylinder?

No. Cylinder and trim are not included on any of the five.

Can I flip the hand on site?

The listing says left hand reversible, so the same device handles either swing.

What is the difference between the 2302 and the 2301?

The 2301 has a cover plate outside. The 2302 has a fixed pull. Neither opens with a key.

Is this the same as the PHI Apex 2100?

No. The 2100 is covered in the 2101, 2102, 2103 and 2105 write-up. The 2300 is the mortise device.

The full range is on our PHI exit device page. For the vertical rod versions, see the 2600 and 2700 guide. Send us the door width, the stile and the outside trim you want, and we will line up the part number.