Adams Rite and Storefront Door Locks in Las Vegas

An Adams Rite lock is the slim steel case that sits inside the narrow edge of most aluminum storefront doors in Las Vegas shops, restaurants and offices. When it fails, the door will not lock, the key will not come out or the bolt will not reach the frame. You have a short list of causes, and a few minutes of looking tells you which one you have.

This guide goes past our commercial locksmith page. It explains the two Adams Rite lock families, the cylinders that fit them, what changes on a frameless glass door with a floor lock, the accessibility rule that covers all of it, and what to tell us so the right part is on the truck.

The short version

Here are the points that matter most.

• Two lock familiesA deadlock throws a long bolt and holds it until you turn the key. A deadlatch uses a spring latch and gives you flexible traffic control, such as free entry at some hours and exit only at others.
• Same size does not mean same lockAdams Rite says its 4510 deadlatch swaps into the space of an MS1850S deadlock with the same backset and faceplate shape, but it does not give the same maximum security.
• Four backsetsThe MS1850S comes in 7/8, 31/32, 1 1/8 and 1 1/2 inch backsets. A replacement has to match the one in your door.
• The cylinder is a separate partThe lock takes a standard 1 inch long, 1 5/32 inch wide mortise cylinder with an MS cam, from either side or both.
• Glass doors work differentlyA frameless glass door has no stile for a lock case, so it uses a floor lock or a top or bottom rail lock.
• We work on these doorsOur photos on the Las Vegas Strip page show floor locks set and cylinders replaced on glass storefront doors.

What you can check before you call

Open the door and look at the edge. On a narrow stile door you will see a metal faceplate about 1 inch wide. Adams Rite lists the MS1850S faceplate at 1 inch by 6 7/8 inches. Take a clear photo of it and of the cylinder on the outside.

Turn the key one full turn. An MS1850S works with a 360 degree turn of the key or thumbturn, and the key comes out only when the bolt is fully locked or fully unlocked. If your key will not come out, the bolt is stuck partway. Do not force it, because a bent key or a broken cylinder turns a small job into a bigger one.

Close the door slowly and watch the gap at the frame. Adams Rite points out that the long bolt on the MS1850S still works where the gap between door and jamb is wider than it should be. A bolt that misses the strike usually points to a sagging door or a worn closer, not a dead lock.

The parts, side by side

Product details below come from Adams Rite's MS1850S deadlock page and its 4510 deadlatch page, opened Oct 28 2026.

Deadlock problems in the order a pro works them

First we find out whether the lock or the door is at fault. If the key turns freely and the bolt moves, the lock is probably fine and the door has dropped or the strike has shifted. We line the door up first, because replacing a good lock does not fix a crooked door.

If the bolt drags or the key sticks, the cylinder is the next suspect. It is a separate part and the lock accepts a cylinder from either side, so a worn outside cylinder can be swapped without opening the door edge. This is the same job as the fresh mortise cylinder shown in our Strip photos.

If the cylinder and alignment are good and the bolt still hangs, the lock case is worn out. The new case has to match the old one in backset and faceplate shape. That is why we ask you for the photo of the faceplate.

Deadlatches and after hours traffic

A deadlatch is built for shops that want the door open at some hours and exit only at others. The Adams Rite 4510 retracts its spring loaded latchbolt when you turn the key or work the handle or paddle. A reverse turn of the key holds the bolt back for two way traffic, and the maker lists healthcare, financial institutions and retail as typical uses.

The trap is closing time. If the bolt is still held back, the door swings free and does not lock. Make the last person out check the door, not just the sign.

If your door also has an electric strike or exit hardware, read our pages on electric strikes and mag locks and panic bars and exit devices. Adams Rite makes both for narrow stile doors, so one door can carry three of its parts.

Glass doors and floor locks

A frameless glass door has no metal stile, so there is nowhere to hide a lock case in the edge. These doors lock at the floor or at the top or bottom rail. The floor lock takes the most punishment because it sits where every shoe, mop and cart reaches it.

The Americans with Disabilities Act speaks to this exactly. Section 404.2.7 of the 2010 ADA Standards lets existing locks stay in any location at existing glazed doors without stiles, and at similar doors with locks that work only at the top or bottom rail. In plain words, an old floor lock does not have to move up to hand height, but a new door must follow the height rule in the next section.

If your floor lock is stiff, loose or will not take the key, send us a photo of the lock and the bottom of the glass. We can tell you whether it is a cylinder swap or a full lock replacement.

The accessibility rule for storefront hardware

Section 404.2.7 of the 2010 ADA Standards says handles, pulls, latches and locks must work with one hand and without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and the force must be 5 pounds or less. Operable parts must sit between 34 and 48 inches above the floor.

The ADA's own advisory adds that hardware you can work with a closed fist or a loose grip suits the widest range of users. When we replace storefront hardware we match it to this rule, and we will tell you if the lock you picked does not meet it.

The Las Vegas angle

Retail and restaurant doors on the Strip see foot traffic all day, and our Strip page notes that they wear out floor locks and cylinders quickly. A lock that fails at midnight is a door you cannot leave. We answer around the clock for that reason.

If your door is in Paradise or Winchester, see our local pages for commercial lockouts in Paradise. For door hardware upgrades in the south valley, see commercial door hardware in Henderson.

What to tell us on the phone

The more of this you can give us, the better the first visit goes.

• The door typeAluminum frame with a narrow stile, or frameless glass.
• The symptomWill not lock, will not unlock, key will not come out, or bolt does not reach the frame.
• Markings on the faceplateSend a photo. Look for a model name or number.
• Single or double doorsPairs of doors can need extra hardware.
• Anything already triedIf someone sprayed the lock or forced it, tell us.

If it is not a job for us

Call us and tell us the make and model, and we will tell you straight whether it is a job for us. If the lock is a rare or discontinued model, we will say so before anyone is sent out.

How to check any locksmith before you let them in

Ask for the business name, the license number and a total price before anyone drives out. Silver State holds a City of Las Vegas locksmith license, and you can look it up yourself at verify our license. Ask every company the same question and write down the answer.

Our guide to locksmith scams in Las Vegas lists the warning signs, such as a quote that changes at the door. If something goes wrong, you can file a complaint with the Nevada Attorney General or report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.