Sargent 988 Surface Bolt Kit - Used in Hurricane Code applications – Bright Zinc Plated Finish

The Sargent 988 is a heavy-duty surface bolt kit built for hurricane-code applications. A surface bolt is a manually operated bolt that mounts to the face of a door and throws into a strike at the top or bottom to hold the door fixed, most often used to secure the inactive leaf of a pair of doors so the active leaf has something solid to latch against. The 988 is the severe-duty version of that: all-steel construction with a full 3/4" square, 12" bolt and a 1-1/4" throw, designed for the wind load demands of hurricane zones. It's tested to Miami-Dade County protocols and listed to UL 10C for fire-rated door assemblies, in a bright zinc plated finish.

Built for hurricane and severe wind load code

This is what sets the 988 apart from a standard surface bolt, and it's the reason to specify it. In hurricane-prone regions, building codes require door hardware that can withstand extreme positive and negative wind pressure without failing, and surface bolts on inactive leaves are part of that requirement. The 988 is engineered for those severe windload (hurricane code) environments and is tested to Dade County protocols, the benchmark certification standard for hurricane-zone construction in Florida and similar high-wind jurisdictions. If a project's specifications call for hurricane-rated hardware on a pair of doors, a standard-duty surface bolt won't meet code, the 988 is built specifically to.

It's also listed in UL 10C for use on fire-rated door assemblies. As with any surface bolt on a fire door, check your local codes for where surface bolts are permitted on fire-rated openings before specifying.

Heavy-duty, jimmy-resistant construction

The 988 is all steel for maximum strength and heavy-duty use. The bolt itself is a full 3/4" (19mm) square section, 12" (305mm) long, with a 1-1/4" (32mm) throw, far more substantial than a typical decorative or light-duty surface bolt. The standout mechanical feature is the jimmy-resistant design: the bolt locks automatically when it's thrown, so it can't be jimmied or vibrated back open, exactly what you want under storm conditions or against forced entry. To retract it, you press the knob toward the door while pulling back. The bolt can also be locked in either the retracted or the throne position, so you can hold it open during normal use and secure it when needed.

The kit comes complete: both an angle (L-shaped) strike and a mortise strike are supplied, along with the mounting hardware, so you can install it for the strike condition your opening requires.

Sargent 988 specifications

• Type: Surface bolt kit, heavy duty, hurricane code.

• Application: Severe windload (hurricane code) environments, typically the inactive leaf of a pair of doors.

• Certifications: Tested to Miami-Dade County protocols. Listed to UL 10C for fire-rated door assemblies (verify code-permitted locations).

• Construction: All steel.

• Bolt: 3/4" (19mm) square, 12" (305mm) long, 1-1/4" (32mm) throw.

• Mechanism: Jimmy-resistant, locks automatically when thrown. Released by pressing the knob toward the door while retracting. Bolt lockable in retracted or thrown position.

• Strikes included: Angle (L-shaped) strike and mortise strike, with mounting hardware.

• Finish: Bright zinc plated.

• Part number: 988.

Why choose the Sargent 988

Sargent is a benchmark institutional hardware brand, and the 988 is its answer to a specific code problem: securing doors in hurricane and high-windload environments. You get all-steel heavy-duty construction, a substantial 12" bolt with deep throw, the jimmy-resistant auto-locking mechanism, and the Dade County and UL 10C certifications that let it pass inspection where lighter hardware can't. Because it ships with both strike types and mounting hardware, it's ready to install on the inactive leaf of a pair without sourcing extra parts. For coastal, institutional, and code-driven projects, it's the surface bolt that meets the spec.

One thing to confirm before ordering: the 988 is a hurricane-code, heavy-duty surface bolt, verify your project actually requires Dade County / windload-rated hardware (if not, a standard surface bolt may suffice), and check fire-door code requirements for your opening.

Order the Sargent 988 from American Locksets

We stock Sargent builders hardware from authorized distribution, so every surface bolt ships with the manufacturer warranty. Compare options in the surface bolts category, or browse all builders hardware.