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Quick Verdict

The door swing decides the bracket. On an outswing door the magnet mounts directly under the header on the secure side; add an L bracket only when the header soffit is too shallow to hold the magnet body. On an inswing door the door face sits back from the frame, so you need a Z bracket (for example the Securitron ZA-32/62, which gives 2-1/4 in. to 3-1/2 in. from door or header). Inswing with no usable header usually needs L and Z together, which is why kits like the BEA MAG5LZUL ship two of each. Frameless glass with no top rail needs a glass door bracket for the armature, because glass cannot be drilled. Brackets are series-specific: order the bracket listed for your exact magnet series, never a "universal" guess.

Why do door swing, stop depth and frame decide the bracket?

A maglock works only when the armature on the door sits flat against the magnet face when the door is closed. Everything else is geometry. Three measurements set the bracket:

• Swing direction relative to the secured side. The magnet always goes on the secure side. If the door swings away from the secure side (outswing from the room you protect), the door face closes in the plane of the stop and the magnet can hang directly from the header soffit. If the door swings toward the secure side (inswing), the door face lands recessed inside the frame and the magnet needs an offset.
• Header soffit depth. If the flat underside of the header cannot carry the magnet body, the magnet moves to the vertical face of the head frame on an L bracket. RCI states it plainly for its LB20: "Required when there is no space left on the header to mount the magnetic lock. Magnet mounts on bracket and bracket mounts on vertical face of head frame."
• Door construction. Hollow metal, wood and aluminum stile doors take the armature with through-bolts. Frameless glass needs a clamp-on armature bracket.

How magnet and armature interact is covered in what magnetic locking is and how it works. Holding force choice is a separate decision; see how to choose a magnetic lock before you buy the bracket.

What to order: measure swing, soffit depth and door type, then shop maglock parts and accessories by magnet series.

L bracket vs Z bracket: when do you use each one?

Bracket type	Door condition	What it solves	Example part
L bracket	Outswing, header soffit too shallow or obstructed	Moves the magnet onto the vertical face of the head frame	Locknetics MLBK600
Z bracket	Inswing, door face recessed from frame face	Offsets the magnet down and out to meet the armature	Securitron ZA-32/62
L + Z combination	Inswing with no usable header soffit	L carries the Z, Z offsets the magnet	BEA MAG5LZUL kit
U bracket	MG Series condition per Locknetics install sheet	Channel mount for MG600 and MG1200	Locknetics MUBK
Glass door bracket	Frameless glass door, no top rail	Clamps the armature to glass that cannot be drilled	Securitron GDB

L bracket. The L bracket is the lowest-cost fix in the category: the Locknetics MLBK600 for MG600 magnets is about $43 at NLS, in US28 aluminum. A double magnet needs two brackets, which Locknetics calls out on both the MLBK600 and MLBK1200 listings.

Z bracket. The Securitron ZA kits are adjustable. Per the listing they are for inswing doors with Magnalock "F" options (8-1/2 in. overall length), give 1-1/4 in. of lateral movement and set the magnet 2-1/4 in. to 3-1/2 in. from the door or header, with an oversized dress cover included. The ZA-32/62 (about $150 at NLS) fits the M32 and M62; the ZA-82 fits the M82. The Alarm Controls AM6370 is the aluminum Z bracket for 1200 Series magnets on in-swinging doors.

L + Z. When an inswing door also lacks soffit depth, the L bracket carries the Z bracket. The BEA MAG5LZUL packages two L brackets and two Z brackets for double 1200 lb maglocks at about $119 at NLS; BEA describes L and Z brackets and filler plates as the parts that "provide space in applications where the MAGLOCK or armature plate need to be mounted differently."

What to order: an L bracket for shallow outswing headers, a Securitron ZA-32/62 Z bracket for inswing M32 or M62 installs.

Which brackets work on frameless glass doors?

All-glass doors break the normal mounting method on both sides of the joint. The door has no top rail to bolt the armature through, and in some storefronts the header is glass too.

• Armature on the glass door. The Securitron GDB (about $66 at NLS) "permits strike plate installation on a solid glass door"; the strike plate screws into the bracket, "as glass doors cannot be drilled." DynaLock offers the 4801 for its 3101 devices and the 4850 for 2011, 2022, 3000 and 3002 devices (order two for double locks); both fit 3/8 in., 1/2 in. or 3/4 in. thick doors and use rubber and metal shims to protect the glass. RCI's GB8112 32D is the 1/2 in. glass version for the 8310, stainless, with a rubber shim.
• Magnet on an all-glass header. Securitron lists the HEB-3G, used with AKG, for Magnalock installation on an all-glass header with the M32 or M62.

Confirm glass thickness before ordering. A bracket listed for 1/2 in. glass on a 3/4 in. lite will not clamp correctly. Glazing work on tempered doors belongs to the glazier, and the maglock vs electric strike comparison explains why maglocks usually win on frameless glass in the first place.

What to order: the Securitron GDB glass door bracket for Securitron Magnalocks, or the DynaLock bracket matched to your DynaLock device number.

Why must the bracket match the magnet series?

Brackets are drilled for one magnet body. A Z bracket for a Securitron M62 will not line up with the mounting holes or length of a Locknetics MG1200, and vice versa. Every listing in this table names its series.

Magnet series	Matching bracket	Finish and notes
Locknetics MG600	MLBK600 L bracket	US28 aluminum; double mags require 2 brackets
Locknetics MG1200	MLBK1200 L bracket	US28 aluminum; double mags require 2 brackets
Locknetics MG600 / MG1200	MUBK U bracket	US28 aluminum; double mags require 2 brackets
Securitron M32 / M62	ZA-32/62 Z bracket	CL or BK; inswing, "F" option magnets
Securitron M82	ZA-82 Z bracket	CL, BK or SS; inswing, "F" option magnets
Alarm Controls 1200 Series	AM6370 Z bracket	Aluminum; in-swinging doors
BEA double 1200 lb	MAG5LZUL (2 L + 2 Z)	Kit for double 1200 lb maglocks
RCI 8320	LB20 L bracket	2-1/2 in. H x 2 in. W x 21 in. L
Securitron Magnalocks	GDB glass door bracket	Solid glass door armature mount

If you are still deciding between Securitron magnets, our M62 vs M32 vs M82 Magnalock comparison covers force, size and mounting variants; buy the bracket after the magnet is locked in.

What to order: the Locknetics MLBK600 for MG600 magnets and the matching series bracket from maglock parts and accessories.

What about outdoor, narrow stile and filler applications?

Outdoor. Weather resistance comes from the lock, not the bracket. Securitron describes the M32 and M62 as fully sealed for weather resistant operation; the brackets are finished aluminum (US28, CL), black or stainless (SS on the ZA-82, 32D on the RCI glass bracket). Pick a finish that will survive the site and match the magnet finish.

Narrow stile aluminum. Narrow stile storefront doors usually swing out, so the magnet mounts direct or on an L bracket; the limiting factor is the top rail height for the armature. Check the armature footprint against the rail before ordering.

Filler plates. "Electric strike filler plate" searches usually mean an electric strike part, not a maglock part. The HES 7000-110 is a replacement strike plate and filler for the HES 7000 (791 and 792 options only). Likewise, the PHI MB305 that shows up in bracket searches is an Apex/Reliant exit device end cap bracket for wide stile doors, not a maglock bracket.

Maglocks are life-safety devices. The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and local code govern egress release, fire alarm interface and fail-safe behavior; see fail-safe vs fail-secure for the logic and have a qualified technician wire the opening.

What to order: the bracket listed for your magnet series and finish from maglock parts and accessories.

How do you measure before ordering a maglock bracket?

1. Swing. Stand on the secure side. Door swings away from you: outswing. Toward you: inswing.
2. Soffit depth. Measure the flat underside of the header from the stop to the face. Compare it with the magnet body depth on the cut sheet.
3. Door face to frame face. On inswing doors, measure from the door face to the header face. The ZA kits adjust from 2-1/4 in. to 3-1/2 in.; outside that window, rethink the bracket.
4. Top rail. Measure rail height and confirm it covers the armature. No rail means a glass door bracket.
5. Glass thickness. 3/8 in., 1/2 in. or 3/4 in. decides the glass bracket.
6. Single or double. Double magnets and pairs of doors need two L or U brackets.

What to order: with those six numbers, the right series bracket from maglock parts and accessories, or the BEA MAG5LZUL kit when an inswing double needs both L and Z.

Common mistakes

1. Ordering a Z bracket for an outswing door. Outswing doors close in the stop plane and usually need direct mount or an L bracket.
2. Buying one L bracket for a double magnet. Locknetics lists two brackets per double mag.
3. Crossing brands: a Securitron ZA bracket on a Locknetics or Alarm Controls magnet.
4. Ordering a glass bracket without confirming glass thickness.
5. Ignoring the "F" option requirement on Securitron ZA kits.
6. Treating an electric strike filler plate as a maglock filler.
7. Forgetting the AHJ: egress release and fire alarm tie-in must be approved before install.

FAQ

What brackets do I need for maglock on glass doors? A frameless glass door needs a glass door bracket that clamps the armature because the glass cannot be drilled, such as the Securitron GDB or a DynaLock 4801 or 4850. An all-glass header may also need a header bracket like Securitron's HEB-3G with AKG.

What is a maglock Z bracket used for? A Z bracket offsets the magnet on inswing doors, where the door face sits back from the frame. Securitron's ZA kits adjust 2-1/4 in. to 3-1/2 in. from the door or header with 1-1/4 in. of lateral movement.

What are magnetic L brackets? An L bracket moves the magnet from the header soffit to the vertical face of the head frame when there is no room underneath. Locknetics MLBK600 and MLBK1200 are L brackets for MG600 and MG1200 magnets.

Are maglock brackets for narrow doors different? Narrow stile doors use the same bracket logic; the constraint is top rail height for the armature. If the rail cannot carry the armature, plan a different armature mount before ordering.

Next step

Shop maglock parts and accessories, or order the Securitron ZA-32/62 Z bracket, the BEA MAG5LZUL L and Z kit or the Securitron GDB directly. For a multi-door bracket schedule, send it to the quote desk; agencies can use government PO intake.