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The HES 1006, HES 9600, and HES 5000 are the three most specified electric strikes in North American commercial access control. All three are manufactured by HES (Hanchett Entry Systems, an Assa Abloy company), all three are UL 1034 burglary-resistant listed, and all three handle 12 V or 24 V DC with field-selectable fail-safe / fail-secure operation. They are not interchangeable. Each one is engineered for a different frame type, latch type, and install scenario.

If you haven’t decided between an electric strike and an electromagnetic lock yet, start with our Electric Strike vs Maglock Detailed Comparison. If you know you need a strike but don’t know how to spec one, How to Choose an Electric Strike covers the fundamentals.

Quick verdict

• HES 1006 → universal cylindrical-latch strike. Fits most standard hollow-metal frames with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 cylindrical lever lock. The default choice for retrofit access control on existing commercial openings.
• HES 9600 → heavy-duty cylindrical-latch strike with a deeper faceplate and surface-box option. Choose this when the frame is aluminum storefront, wood, or where the opening demands higher abuse resistance.
• HES 5000 → mortise and cylindrical hybrid strike. Choose this when the opening uses a mortise lock with a deadlatch, or when the strike must accept rim exit device latches up to 5/8”.

All three ship non-handed and can be converted between fail-safe and fail-secure in the field without special tools.

Entity attributes side-by-side

Attribute	HES 1006	HES 9600	HES 5000
Frame compatibility	Hollow metal, wood	Aluminum storefront, hollow metal, wood	Hollow metal, aluminum, wood
Latch compatibility	Cylindrical latchbolt (1/2” throw)	Cylindrical latchbolt (1/2”–5/8”)	Cylindrical or mortise deadlatch (up to 5/8”)
Faceplate options	Flat, radius, centerline	Flat, radius, square corner	Flat, radius, square corner, mortise
Voltage	12/24 V DC, field-selectable	12/24 V AC/DC, field-selectable	12/24 V AC/DC, field-selectable
Fail-safe / fail-secure	Field-selectable	Field-selectable	Field-selectable
Holding force	1,500 lbs	1,500 lbs	2,000 lbs
Current draw (continuous)	220 mA @ 12 V	220 mA @ 12 V	220 mA @ 12 V
UL 1034 (burglary)	Yes	Yes	Yes
UL 10C (fire)	Yes, with fire-rated kit	Yes, with fire-rated kit	Yes, with fire-rated kit
Latch monitor option	Yes	Yes	Yes
Typical price tier	Entry	Mid	Premium

The faceplate matters more than most first-time buyers realize. Wrong plate means grinding a frame cutout — which is why we wrote Electric Strike Faceplates: ANSI vs ASA and How to Choose.

HES 1006: the universal retrofit strike

The HES 1006 is the best-selling electric strike in the HES catalog and the right answer for most retrofit jobs on hollow-metal frames with cylindrical lever or knob locksets. It ships as a complete kit that includes the strike body, four faceplates (flat, radius, centerline, and ANSI), and the mounting hardware for the most common frame preps.

Choose the 1006 when:

• The opening already has a Grade 1 or Grade 2 cylindrical lockset (for example a Schlage ND Series, Sargent 10 Line, or Corbin CL3300 — stocked in the Cylindrical Lever Locks category).
• The frame is hollow metal or wood.
• You need one SKU that covers 80% of your future retrofit jobs.
• You want the shortest install time in the category.

Skip the 1006 when:

• The latch is a mortise deadlatch — use the 5000 instead.
• The frame is narrow-stile aluminum storefront — use the 9600 or a dedicated Adams Rite 74 series strike.
• The opening sees extreme abuse — the 9600 has the heavier faceplate.

Browse stocked 1006 units in the Cylindrical Electric Strikes category or the full Electric Strikes parent category.

HES 9600: the storefront and heavy-abuse strike

The HES 9600 is purpose-built for aluminum storefront frames and heavy-abuse commercial openings. The faceplate is thicker than the 1006, the keeper has tighter tolerances, and the housing accepts surface-mount boxes for retrofits where the frame cannot be cut. It is the strike you specify when a building owner has tried a 1006 on a storefront door, pulled the faceplate off the frame, and called you.

Choose the 9600 when:

• The door is an aluminum storefront using a cylindrical lever or deadlatch.
• The opening sees high traffic, pull attacks, or has a history of being forced.
• You need a surface-mount option because cutting the frame is not permitted (landlord restriction, historic building).
• The access control system is AC-driven and you need 12/24 V AC compatibility out of the box.

Skip the 9600 when:

• The latch is a mortise lock — use the 5000.
• The budget is tight and the frame is standard hollow metal — the 1006 is half the install effort.

Stocked 9600 units live in the Cylindrical Electric Strikes category alongside compatible faceplates and parts.

HES 5000: the mortise and exit-device strike

The HES 5000 is HES’s heaviest Grade 1 electric strike, rated at 2,000 lbs of static holding force and engineered to accept mortise deadlatches and rim exit device latchbolts. This is the strike you choose when the lock is a Schlage L9000, Sargent 8200, or Corbin Russwin ML2000 — mortise locksets that a 1006 or 9600 will not physically accept.

Choose the 5000 when:

• The opening uses a mortise lock with a deadlatch.
• The opening uses a rim exit device and you need to electrify the strike side instead of the panic bar itself (less expensive than electric latch retraction on the device).
• You need the highest holding force in the HES mechanical-strike line.
• The opening is part of an access-controlled emergency exit — when combined with the correct exit device it preserves life-safety egress.

Skip the 5000 when:

• The lockset is cylindrical — the 1006 or 9600 installs faster and costs less.
• You need a fully electrified panic bar (electric latch retraction) for touchless egress — that is a panic device modification, not a strike swap.

Stocked 5000 units live in the Mortise Electric Strikes category, and the companion commercial mortise locksets that pair with them cover Schlage L9000, Sargent 8200, and Corbin Russwin ML2000 bodies.

Fail-safe vs fail-secure: pick before you wire

All three strikes are field-selectable between fail-safe and fail-secure, but the selection is driven by life safety and local code, not preference.

• Fail-secure (also called “non-fail-safe”): the strike is locked when power is off. Used on non-egress doors — stockrooms, IT closets, employee entries. Most common default.
• Fail-safe: the strike is unlocked when power is off. Required on fire-rated stair doors and other code-mandated egress openings, because a power loss cannot be allowed to trap occupants.

Always verify with the local AHJ (authority having jurisdiction). Wrong selection on a stair door can void the fire label and expose the building owner to liability.

Power supply sizing

A strike that clicks but never releases is almost always a power supply problem, not a strike problem. Before you order, size the power supply to the total current draw of all strikes on the circuit, plus the inrush spike on initial activation. HES electric strikes draw 220 mA continuous at 12 V DC — a 10-door system pulls 2.2 A continuous. Our Access Control Power Supply Guide walks through the calculation.

Decision matrix

If the opening has…	Use
Cylindrical lock + hollow metal frame	HES 1006
Cylindrical lock + aluminum storefront	HES 9600
Cylindrical lock + high-abuse wood frame	HES 9600
Mortise lock (any frame)	HES 5000
Rim exit device + you want to electrify the strike, not the bar	HES 5000
Surface-box retrofit (no frame cutting allowed)	HES 9600 surface box
Fire-rated opening	Any of the three, with fire-rated kit

FAQ

Can I convert a 1006 to a 9600 in the field? No. They are different housings. Order the correct model based on frame and latch type.

Are HES strikes hand-specific? No. All three are non-handed. The keeper ships reversible.

Will a HES strike work with any brand of lock? The 1006 and 9600 work with any cylindrical Grade 1 or Grade 2 latch up to the listed throw. The 5000 works with mortise and rim exit device latches within its throat depth. Always match the latch throw, not the brand.

Do I need a separate transformer? You need a regulated access-control power supply. A bare transformer will not provide the filtered DC the strike expects and will fail UL certification. See the Access Control Power Supply Guide.

What about the HES 1500 or 4500? The 1500 is a mortise strike for Adams Rite deadlatches on aluminum storefront; the 4500 is a slimline cylindrical strike for tight frames. They are siblings, not replacements for the 1006/9600/5000 — we will cover them in a follow-up.