Command Arms Accessories (CAA) MCK platforms (Micro Conversion Kits) are incredible chassis systems that transform many popular handguns into carbine-style platforms, all while requiring no modifications to the gun whatsoever.
Moreover, they can vastly improve handling, confidence, and accuracy, even at extended ranges, and there are many MCK accessories compatible with them that vastly improve their functionality.
With that said, your MCK, like your handgun, should also be periodically cleaned. It’s not enough to drop out the handgun, clean that, and drop it back in. While that is also important, you also need to keep your MCK clean. Here’s what to know.
How to Keep Your Micro Conversion Kit Clean
Command Arms Accessories recommends that you clean your MCK after every 300 rounds, if not more frequently.
The first step involved in cleaning an MCK is to clear the handgun and drop it from the platform. Place the firearm somewhere safe.
Then, you can clean the exterior of the micro conversion kit; to do so, you will need a clean rag and perhaps some warm water. Mild detergent or soap is acceptable if necessary.
Using the rag, clean off any powder fouling, grease, oil or other residue from the outside of the chassis. You can use as much pressure as necessary to remove deposits.
For stubborn grease and tar, you can use a nylon brush and a mild solvent, like powder fouling solvent. Don’t use any harsh cleaners which can damage the finish of the chassis, though.
Pay particular attention around mounting points as well as at any rail slots, where grease, tar and fouling can accumulate and from which it will prove more difficult to remove them.
The vent area near the muzzle of the MCK will also require a little extra attention. Use your nylon cleaning brush or, if you don’t have one, a toothbrush, to clean out these vents.
It is important that you do not use paper towels to clean an MCK, because they will leave fibers on the chassis that can attract grease and fouling. In fact, don’t use anything that will leave fibers, such as cotton puffs. Don’t use steel wool either, as this will scratch the finish. This also means that while you can use the nylon brushes that come with gun cleaning kits, you shouldn’t use the brass or steel brushes, as these will also scratch the finish.
After you’ve cleaned the fouling and other grease and oil off the exterior of the chassis, you can turn your attention to the internals of the MCK.
Open the trapdoor to the platform and use your rag or nylon brush to scrub out the interior of the MCK. You can use a powder solvent or mild detergent and warm water to get the job done. Some handgun platforms (and ammo) are dirtier and produce more fouling than others, so just how much you’ll have to clean out will vary according to the unique circumstances.
You’ll also need to clean parts of your gun that you wouldn’t have to clean as diligently if you weren’t running a conversion kit like an MCK.
Of note is the area of the slide around the muzzle, where a lot of fouling will get deposited when you’re shooting through an MCK. Clean this area of your handgun off with a nylon brush and some solvent to keep it from getting caked, accreted, and difficult to remove.
One trick from the people at CAA is to apply a small amount of lubricant like Rem Oil to the slide near the muzzle; this will help prevent fouling from adhering to this portion of the slide, and will also make it easier to clean it off later.
The Importance of a Clean MCK
As it is important to keep your gun clean to prevent corrosion and malfunctions while also preserving accuracy, so too is it important to keep your MCK clean.
This is mostly important to ensure that your gun stays clean, but it is also a matter of preventing fouling from accumulating in or on the MCK in such a manner that it becomes prohibitively difficult to remove.
Therefore, cleaning your MCK after a few hundred rounds as they suggest will make it easier on you in the long term and will also help keep your gun clean.
Here for a New MCK or Accessories?
In the event you landed here because you’re in the market for a new micro conversion kit, we carry plenty of CAA MCK platforms compatible with some of the most popular handguns out there.
Take a look through our collection, which also contains a large assortment of MCK accessories such as lights, lasers, brass catchers, optics, glass breakers, thumb rests and other ergonomic accessories, and let us know if you have any questions about compatibility.