By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

Four storeroom locks, one name, different doors

Ask for a TownSteel MSS storeroom lock and you will find four of them in our catalog. The 07, the 14, the 82 and the 35 all carry the storeroom label. They are not the same lock. One has a key cylinder on the outside only. Three have a cylinder on both faces, and one of those adds a deadbolt.

The wrong pick shows up at install or the first week in service. A closet gets a double cylinder it never needed, or a room with a fire egress path gets a key lock on the inside face. Here is how I would sort them.

All four share the MSS platform. The catalog lists it as BHMA A156.13-2012 Grade 1 and UL 10C 3-hour rated, with a Sentinel lever, a Schlage C keyway, a standard 2-3/4" backset and a 1-3/4" door thickness. The bodies are the same size. The function number is the part that changes.

07: single cylinder storeroom or closet

The MSS-07 is the plain one, listed as Single Cylinder Storeroom / Closet. In general terms a storeroom function keeps the outside lever locked at all times, so a key is needed for every entry, and leaves the inside lever free so nobody is stuck in the room. There is no button and no thumbturn to forget.

That is the lock for a janitor closet, an electrical room or a supply room that someone should not be able to prop open. It is also the least expensive of the four: our catalog price is $411.35 in the bright brass listing, against $494.89 for the three double cylinder parts below.

If the door is on a normal path of exit, this is the one to start from. Anyone inside can walk out without a key.

14 and 82: double cylinder storeroom

The MSS-14 and the MSS-82 are both listed as Double Cylinder Storeroom. The name tells you there is a key cylinder on both faces, which is the whole difference from the 07.

I will be straight about something here. The two listings carry the same name and the same price, and the catalog text does not say what separates a 14 from an 82. It is a different function number, so it is a different lever action, and I will not guess which one. If you need to choose between them, tell us the door and what the inside should do, and we will confirm before you order.

What a second cylinder buys you is control from the inside. A key on the inside face means staff control the door from both sides, and the person inside does not. That is why you see double cylinder hardware in spaces where the occupant should not be the one deciding, such as a records room, a pharmacy back room or a detention closet.

The cost is egress. A key-operated inside face means a person without a key may not be able to get out. Check your jurisdiction before you put this on any door that is part of an exit path.

35: double cylinder storeroom with deadbolt

The MSS-35 is the same double cylinder storeroom body with a deadbolt added. The catalog lists it at the same $494.89, so you are not paying extra for the bolt.

This is the lock for a room where a latch alone is not enough protection: a cash room, an IT closet, an evidence or records room. A deadbolt does not get shimmed or pried the way a spring latch can. The 14 and 82 stop casual entry. The 35 is for doors someone will actually work on.

I do not have the lever behavior in front of me for the deadbolt function, so I will not claim a specific action. The listing says storeroom with deadbolt, and that is what I can stand behind.

Side by side

Part	Catalog function	Cylinders	Deadbolt	Catalog price (605)
MSS-07	Storeroom / Closet	Single	Not listed	$411.35
MSS-14	Storeroom	Double	Not listed	$494.89
MSS-82	Storeroom	Double	Not listed	$494.89
MSS-35	Storeroom with Deadbolt	Double	Yes	$494.89

L or R, and the finish

Each function is listed with two escutcheon styles. The names read Low Sectional and Sectional, and the part numbers carry an L or an R. Same lock behind the trim, a different look on the door. I do not have the dimensions of the escutcheons in the listings, so pull the drawing on the product page or send a photo of the existing lock before you mix them with others on the same corridor.

Finish is the last number on the part. The MSS line comes in 605, 606, 622, 625, 626, 629 and 630. The 605 shown in these listings is bright brass. On a corridor, match what is already there. A bright brass lever beside satin stainless looks like a mistake.

Keying before ordering

The MSS ships with a mortise cylinder on a Schlage C keyway. That is the one that fits a lot of existing master key systems, and it is why a retrofit on a Schlage-keyed building tends to go smoothly. A double cylinder lock needs two cylinders to pin, so a 14, 82 or 35 doubles the number of cylinders you rekey. If you are keying 30 closets, that is 60 cylinders, not 30. Plan the key schedule before you pick the function.

Common mistakes

Ordering a double cylinder for a door that only needs a locked closet. You pay $83.54 more per door at the catalog price and add a second cylinder to rekey, for no gain.

Putting a key-operated inside face on a path of egress. Inside key control is exactly what a records vault wants and exactly what an exit door cannot have.

Assuming 14 and 82 are interchangeable. They are different functions on different part numbers, and the listings do not say how. Ask first.

Common questions

What does single cylinder mean on the 07?

A key cylinder on the outside only. The inside has a lever and no key.

Is the 35 worth the deadbolt?

If the room holds cash, data or controlled items, yes. The catalog price is the same as the 14 and 82.

Does the lock come with a cylinder?

The MSS listings show a mortise cylinder and a Schlage C keyway. Confirm the count on the product page for double cylinder parts.

Are they fire rated?

The catalog lists the MSS line as UL 10C 3-hour rated. Check the listing for the specific part before specifying a rated door.

For the office and classroom functions on the same platform, read the TownSteel MSS office or classroom guide. For a door that stays open on purpose, see the MSS-06 holdback article. The full line is on our TownSteel page. Tell us the door and we will match the function.