Kwikset 438CNL Carson Grade 3 ...
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$72.40
$41.03

Kwikset 438CNL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set

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Model: 438CNL-26D
From the Carson Collection
$72.40
$41.03
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In Stock (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)

$72.40
$41.03
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KWIKSET 438CNL CARSON GRADE 3 LEVER SET OVERVIEW

438CNL Carson Grade 3 Lever Set for entryways, entrances or main doors. Locking mechanism functions by pressing the push button on the interior of the lock

Looking for an easy and hassle-free solution for your interior doors? Look no further than this Carson Grade 3 Lever Set! It's perfect for entrance, entryways or securing main doors. It's also certified with an ANSI/BHMA grade 3 certification and has been tested for durability and performance. With an adjustable backset ranging from 2-3/8" to 2-3/4", this latch can fit all standard door preparations. Plus, the fully reversible lever can be installed on both right and left-handed doors. Installation is a breeze and can be done in just a few minutes with a screwdriver. You'll also receive a lifetime mechanical and 5 year finish warranty, so you can trust that this latch will last for years to come.

Buy this Kwikset Carson Grade 3 Lever Set today for style, security, and peace of mind for your home!

438CNL CARSON LEVER PRODUCT FEATURES

  • For use on exterior doors where keyed entry and security is needed
  • Comes with 2 keys
  • Latch is 20 minute fire rated with round corner face
  • Meets ADA/ANSI A117.1 requirements
  • ANSI/BHMA grade 3 certified
  • Latch has adjustable backset 2-3/8" to 2-3/4" to fit all standard door preparations
  • Locking mechanism functions by pressing the push button on the interior of the lock
  • Meets or exceeds Underwriter Laboratories (UL) testing requirements specified for each product grade or rating
  • Fully reversible lever, can be installed on both right handed and left handed doors
  • Easily installs in minutes with just a screwdriver
  • Lifetime Mechanical, 5 Year finish warranty

COLOR VARIATIONS

Kwikset 438CNL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set 11P (Venetian Bronze)
Kwikset 438CNL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set 15 (Satin Nickel)
Kwikset 438CNL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set 26D (Satin Chrome)

Note: Some concept images shown with item are not included.

CARSON LEVER SET COLLECTION

Kwikset 407CNL Carson Grade 3 Passage Lever Set UL Door Lock
Kwikset 408CNL Carson Grade 3 Privacy UL Lever Set Door Lock
Kwikset 438CNL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set
Kwikset 438CNL SMC UL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set with SC1 Keyway Smartkey
Kwikset 438CNL SMT UL Carson Grade 3 Keyed Entry Lever Set with Smartkey
Kwikset 439CNL UL Carson Grade 3 Storerooms Door Lever Set
Kwikset 439CNL SMT UL Carson Grade 3 Storerooms Door Lever Set with Smartkey
Kwikset 488CNL Carson Half Dummy Grade 3 Door Lever Reversible Non-Turning One-Sided Function

RESOURCES & DOWNLOADS

438CNL Carson Lever Door Installation Guide

Manufacturer Resources

Product Specs

Collection:
Carson
Grade:
Grade 3
Warranty:
25 Year Mechanical and 5 Year Finish
Keyed Function:
Single Cylinder
Product Group:
Mechanical Locks
Product Subgroup:
Leversets
Subcategory:
Levers
Keyed:
Yes
Commercial/Residential:
Residential
Handle Type:
Lever
UL Listing Type:
Meets UL 3 Hour fire rating for all UL functions. ULRef #R7860
Lock Function:
Entry/Office
Product Attribute:
Cylindrical Locks
Backset (Distance):
Adjustable 2-3/8 or 2-3/4
Product Function:
Entrance
Product Type:
Leverset
Door Hand Direction:
Reversible
Door Thickness Range:
1-3/8” – 1-3/4”
Product Details:
Pushbutton Lever
Door Strike:
2-1/4" Full Lip Round Corner Strike
Product Style:
Traditional
Product Category:
Mechanical Locks
Department:
Door Hardware

Kwikset 438CNL-26D – Frequently Asked Questions

1) Is the Kwikset 438CNL Carson lever handed, or will it work on both a left and right hand door?
Fully reversible. The Carson lever installs on right hand and left hand doors with no separate part and no field conversion kit, so a property manager buying for a building with openings swinging both ways can order one item across the whole job.
2) How does the Kwikset Carson 438CNL lock and unlock, and does it take a key on both sides?
Single cylinder entry/office function. Key on the outside, pushbutton on the inside lever. You press the interior button to lock, and the key or turning the inside lever releases it. There is no keyed cylinder on the interior side, which is why it is the common choice for entry doors that also need to exit freely. Two keys come with it.
3) Can I get several Kwikset Carson 438CNL entry levers keyed alike so one key runs the whole unit?
Yes. The Carson 438CNL is ordered either keyed different or keyed alike, and you can supply an existing key code if you need new locks to run on keys already in circulation. For a landlord re-doing a block of units, keyed alike on the set plus a code on file is how you avoid carrying a ring of keys.
4) Is the Kwikset Carson 438CNL rated for a fire door?
The latch is 20 minute fire rated with a round corner face, and the lock meets UL 3 hour fire rating for all UL functions under UL reference R7860. A 20 minute rated latch is what you'd want on an apartment-to-corridor door where that rating applies.
5) Is a Grade 3 lever like the Kwikset Carson enough for an apartment entry door, or should I step up to Grade 2 or Grade 1?
The Carson 438CNL is ANSI/BHMA Grade 3, which is the residential tier. It's the right pick for apartment and house entry doors under normal residential traffic. For a commercial corridor, a school, or anything getting heavy daily cycling, move up: the Hager 2525 is a Grade 2 commercial cylindrical entry lock, and the Dexter C1000 entry/office lever is Grade 1. Both of those fit 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inch doors as well, so the opening prep doesn't change.
6) Will the Kwikset Carson 438CNL work with the strike plate already in my door frame?
It ships with a 2-1/4 inch full lip round corner strike. If your existing frame has a square corner strike mortise, the round corner strike won't sit flat in it, and you'd either swap to the included strike with a little chisel work or reuse your existing strike if the lip length matches. Same story on the door face: the latch face is round corner, so a square corner latch mortise needs squaring off or filing.
7) The Carson 438CNL will not fit my door thickness - what keyed lever covers a thicker door?
The 438CNL Carson is built for doors 1-3/8 inch to 1-3/4 inch thick. For a thicker leaf, the Deltana 6201 Manchester, 6411 Morant and 6431 Linstead entry levers all cover 1-3/8 inch to 2 inch, as does the Hager 2525 Grade 2 commercial entry lock. Past 2 inch, the Falcon K101 runs to 2-1/4 inch, though it is a passage function rather than keyed. Confirm the leaf thickness at the bore before ordering, since an entry lever sized for a 1-3/4 inch door will leave the spindle short on a 2 inch slab.
8) What is the closest equivalent to the Kwikset 438CNL Carson keyed entry lever from another brand?
The Cal-Royal AUS00 is the nearest match on function and rating: it is a Grade 3 entrance/office lever lock with a 1-3/8 inch to 1-3/4 inch door thickness range, the same range the 438CNL Carson covers. Both are keyed entry levers meant for a main or exterior door. The Callan Artino CLN-360201 and the Master Lock RL01 BC Series return-style lever are also Grade 3 entrance-function keyed levers, so all three land in the same slot for a landlord or remodeler replacing an entry lever on a residential opening.
9) What should I use instead of the Kwikset Carson lever on a commercial opening with heavy traffic?
The Carson 438CNL is a Grade 3 residential lever. For a commercial corridor or a high-cycle multi-family opening, step up to a Grade 2 or Grade 1 keyed lever: the Hager 2525 is a Grade 2 commercial cylindrical entry lock with a 1-3/8 inch to 2 inch door thickness range, the Falcon B511CP6D is a medium-duty Grade 2 entry/office lever, and the Dexter C1000 entry/office lever is Grade 1 with clutching and a 1-3/8 inch to 1-3/4 inch door range. An MRO or institutional buyer standardizing a facility will generally be specifying at the Grade 1 or Grade 2 level rather than Grade 3.
10) What lever do I use instead of the Carson keyed entry when the key must always retract the latch and the outside lever stays locked?
The 438CNL Carson is an entry/office function - the inside pushbutton locks the outside lever, and it can be left unlocked. A storeroom function never leaves the outside lever unlocked; the key retracts the latch every time. For that, the Cal-Royal AG05 is a Grade 2 storeroom lever with a deadlocking latchbolt and a 1-3/8 inch to 1-3/4 inch door thickness range, and the Hager 2580 is a Grade 2 storeroom lock with the Withnell lever covering 1-3/8 inch to 2 inch doors. Electrical and mechanical rooms, janitor closets, and utility spaces are where that difference matters.
11) Which lever should I specify instead of the Carson 438CNL for a classroom door?
Classroom function is keyed from the outside only and is not what the 438CNL Carson does - the Carson is an entry/office lever locked by an interior pushbutton, which is exactly what a classroom spec rules out. The Cal-Royal AG03 is a classroom lever in the AG Series, Grade 2, with a 6-pin Schlage C keyway keyed different and a 2-3/4 inch backset. The Dexter C1000 classroom lever is Grade 1 with clutching, keyed, for 1-3/8 inch to 1-3/4 inch doors, and the Dexter C1000 classroom security version adds an inside keyed cylinder for lockdown from within the room.
12) Which keyed entry lever should I pick if I need a specific Schlage C keyway rather than the Kwikset cylinder?
The Carson 438CNL is a Kwikset single-cylinder keyed lever, ordered keyed different or keyed alike. When a building is already keyed to Schlage C, the Cal-Royal AG00 entrance lever is a Grade 2 lever with a 6-pin Schlage C keyway keyed different and a 2-3/8 inch backset - the same backset the Carson latch adjusts to. The Cal-Royal AG03 classroom lever is the Schlage C option at a 2-3/4 inch backset. A locksmith matching an existing master key system will care about this before anything else on the lever.
13) Is the Kwikset 438CNL Carson lever ADA compliant for a lever handle requirement?
It meets ADA/ANSI A117.1 requirements. Lever style rather than knob, which is what the accessibility requirement is driving at in the first place, so it satisfies a spec calling for lever-operated hardware on an accessible route.
14) I need matching Carson levers for the bedroom and closet doors, not just the entry. What are my options?
The Carson trim runs across the full function set, so you can keep one look through a house. The 438CNL is the keyed entry. The 407CNL is passage for hall and closet doors, the 408CNL is privacy for bed and bath, the 439CNL is storeroom, and the 488CNL is a half dummy for a non-latching door. There are also Smartkey versions of the 438CNL and 439CNL if you want to re-key them yourself.
15) What's the difference between the Kwikset Carson 438CNL entry lever and a storeroom lever?
Function, and it decides whether the door can ever be left unlocked. The Carson 438CNL is entry/office: push the interior button and the outside lever locks, release it and the door is free to walk through. A storeroom lever, like the Kwikset 439CNL Carson or the Cal-Royal AG05 Grade 2 storeroom lockset, keeps the outside lever locked at all times and only a key gets you in. Use entry for a unit door somebody lives behind; use storeroom for a mechanical room, a supply closet, or anywhere that must never be propped open unlocked.
16) Does the Kwikset Carson 438CNL come with a deadbolt, or do I need to add one?
No deadbolt. The 438CNL Carson is a single cylinder keyed entry lever on its own, so if the door needs a deadbolt above it you order that separately. If you'd rather buy the pair together, the Callan Bennett is a Grade 3 entrance leverset sold as a deadbolt combo.
17) How hard is the Kwikset Carson 438CNL to install on a door that already has a bored lock?
Screwdriver only, a few minutes. It's a cylindrical bored lock with an adjustable 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 backset latch, so on a door already prepped for a standard bored lockset you pull the old one, set the latch to your backset and put the new one in. Two things to check before you start: the door has to be between 1-3/8 and 1-3/4 inches thick, and the existing strike and latch mortises need to be round corner or get adjusted for the round corner faces this ships with.
18) I do not need the door to lock - what is the non-keyed version of a lever like the Carson 438CNL?
The 438CNL Carson is a keyed single-cylinder entry lever with a pushbutton on the inside. For a door that only needs to latch, a passage lever is the simpler part: the Callan Asheville CLN-AH5011 is a Grade 3 passage leverset in satin nickel, and the Bravura Atlanta BVR-BV333002 and Orlando BVR-BV333602 are Grade 2 passage leversets with round trim. For a heavier passage opening, the Falcon K101 is a Grade 1 non-handed passage lock with a fire rating and a 1-3/8 inch to 2-1/4 inch door thickness range. None of these accept a key.
19) Is a dummy lever the same thing as the Carson 438CNL keyed entry lever?
No, and it is the most common mis-order in a lever set. The 438CNL Carson is a keyed cylindrical entry lever with a working latch and a 2-1/4 inch full lip round corner strike. A dummy lever has no latch and no mechanism at all - it is surface-mounted trim for a pull. The Accentra 455LN Augusta is a Grade 1 single dummy cylindrical lever, the BEST 9K Series 1DT is a Grade 1 heavy-duty single dummy trim, the BEST 7KC Series 1DT is the Grade 2 medium-duty equivalent, and the Baldwin Estate 5103 half dummy comes handed left or right. Order a dummy only where the door does not latch.
20) I want a keyless lever instead of a keyed one - what replaces the Carson 438CNL?
The 438CNL Carson ships with two keys and uses a standard cylinder. To drop keys entirely, the Lockey 2835 is a mechanical pushbutton keyless lever lock, ADA compliant, for doors 1 3/16 inch to 2 inch thick, with the 2835DC adding a second combination. The Lockey 1150 is a heavy-duty mechanical keypad lever set covering 1-1/8 inch to 2 inch doors with an adjustable backset. On the electronic side, the Delaney LP250 is a Grade 2 electronic keypad leverlock and Emtek offers a Classic keypad leverset. Keyless suits a rental turnover or a shared entry where codes change more often than cylinders.
21) Is a knob lockset an acceptable substitute for the Carson 438CNL lever?
Mechanically it can be, but it changes the accessibility story. The 438CNL Carson is a lever and meets ADA/ANSI A117.1 requirements. The Arrow HK11-BB is a turn-pushbutton entrance cylindrical lock with the same entrance function and a 1-3/8 inch to 1-3/4 inch door thickness range, but it uses a ball knob rather than a lever. On any opening on an accessible route, the lever is the part that satisfies the requirement; a knob is fine on a closet or a back-of-house door where the code does not reach.
22) Can I get a keyed entry lever with a matching deadbolt instead of the Carson 438CNL alone?
The 438CNL Carson is a single keyed entry lever with a 2-1/4 inch full lip round corner strike; it does not include a deadbolt. The Callan Bennett CLN-BN3001R is a Grade 3 entrance leverset supplied as a deadbolt combo, so the lever and bolt arrive together and share a trim look. On a main entry where insurance or a local code calls for a second point of security, the combo is the part to order.
23) Does the Carson 438CNL need to be ordered handed, and which comparable levers do?
No. The 438CNL Carson is fully reversible and installs on right-handed and left-handed doors from the same box. Among the alternatives, the Falcon B101 and K101 are non-handed as well. The Baldwin Estate 5103 half dummy is the one to watch - it is sold as a distinct left hand and right hand part, so the hand has to be determined at the door before ordering. A property manager buying levers in quantity saves a return line by staying on the reversible parts.
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Does the Kwikset 438CNL-26D come with a warranty?
Absolutely. The Kwikset 438CNL-26D is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty. For full warranty terms, check the product documentation or Contact Us.
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