Design Hardware 316/116 Friction Hold Open Arm

No. The friction hold open arm is for non-fire-rated openings only. Holding a fire door open with a friction fitting defeats the door's job of closing and latching in a fire, so on any fire rated opening you need a standard non-hold-open arm instead. If you want hold open on a corridor, office, or stair-free interior door that carries no fire label, this is the right arm.

Yes, and the parallel arm bracket comes with it. The arm covers all three mounting positions, regular (pull side), top jamb, and parallel arm, so one part number handles whichever way the 116 or 316 closer is hung on your opening. No separate PA shoe to order.

Handing is not a factor. The 316/116 friction hold open arm is non-handed, so the same part goes on a left hand or right hand door. For a property manager stocking a few spares across a building, that means one arm covers every opening regardless of swing.

Yes. Hold open is done by a friction fitting under the nut rather than a fixed detent, so the door can be set to stay put at multiple open positions and the holding force is adjusted by tightening or backing off that nut. That is different from a stop-and-hold arm that only holds at one preset angle.

The Corbin Russwin 688F77 door closer part is a regular arm with hold-open, so it covers the same job of holding a door open at the arm rather than at the closer body. The difference is in how the hold is set and where the arm can mount: the Design Hardware 316/116 friction hold open arm uses a friction type fitting under the nut that allows multiple hold open positions, and it mounts regular, top jamb and parallel arm with a PA bracket included. Both are non-fire-rated hold-open applications only, so confirm the opening is not a rated door before specifying either.

Use a non-hold-open regular arm. The Corbin Russwin 688F95 is a regular arm for regular and top jamb mounting with no hold-open in its function, so the door closes every cycle. That is the right choice on fire-rated openings and on any door where a held-open leaf defeats the purpose, since the Design Hardware 316/116 friction hold open arm is intended for non-fire-rated applications. Note the Corbin Russwin arm covers regular and top jamb mounting, while the Design Hardware arm also covers parallel arm mounting and includes the PA bracket.

The arm has two length positions built in, so it adapts to different jamb depths (reveals) without ordering a special arm or adding a drop plate. Set it to the longer position for a deeper reveal on a top jamb or parallel arm install.

It is the complete arm assembly for 116 and 316 Series closers, sold as a replacement part, and it includes the parallel arm bracket. Swapping a plain closing arm for this one converts an existing 116 or 316 closer to hold open without replacing the closer body.

It is rated standard duty, which suits interior and moderate traffic openings, offices, corridors, apartment common doors. For a heavily used commercial entry a heavier arm is the safer call, such as the Corbin Russwin 688F77 regular arm with hold-open.

Both are complete closer arms with a hold open function, but they are not interchangeable, each fits its own maker's closer. The Design Hardware arm is for 116 and 316 Series closers, is non-handed, and ships with the parallel arm bracket so it can be mounted regular, top jamb, or parallel arm. The Corbin Russwin 688F77 is a regular arm with hold-open for Corbin Russwin closers. Match the arm to the closer body on the door.

Two different fixes. This friction hold open arm solves reach across the jamb depth with its two length positions; it does not lower the closer body on the door. If the problem is that the closer body has no flat mounting surface on a narrow top rail or a stopped frame, you want a drop plate instead, such as the Corbin Russwin 188F65 for DC3220 with full cover or the 597F58 for DC3210, both for 1-3/4 inch doors.

No. A drop plate such as the Corbin Russwin 188F65, for the DC3220 with full cover, or the Corbin Russwin 597F58 for the DC3210 with full cover, is a mounting adapter that lowers the closer body when there is not enough flat face on the door or frame to land it. Both are listed for a 1-3/4 inch door thickness. It changes where the closer sits, not how the door behaves. The Design Hardware 316/116 friction hold open arm is the linkage between the closer and the frame, and its friction fitting under the nut is what holds the door open at multiple positions. If the closer has no room to mount, you need the plate; if the door will not stay open, you need the arm. A job with both problems needs both parts.

The Design Hardware 316/116 friction hold open arm has two arm length positions to suit different jamb depths, and it is a non-handed design, so one part number serves left and right hand openings across a building. The Corbin Russwin 688F77 regular arm with hold-open is the comparable hold-open arm to weigh against it. For a run of doors with varying reveals, the two-position adjustment and non-handed build mean you can stock one arm and one finish rather than sorting parts by opening.