Arisaka Refinish

[Mills]

Gents, looking for some options in regards to refinishing an old WWII Japanese Arisaka bolt action rifle. My neighbor had it and it was rusted solid. He said that it had been sitting in his barn for 20 or so years and he asked me if I could get it working again. The breach was closed when I found it and the barrel was plugged by mud dobbers.........

Didn't quite know what to do, so I soaked the parts in some vinegar for a couple days, then was able to take the rifle apart. Obviously, I removed whatever parkerized finish that was left on there by doing that.

So now, I have a pile of rusty pieces and a barrel that actually doesn't look to bad on the inside. I am going to take it to work tomorrow and clean it out a little better and then we shall see.

I guess the bottom line is, what are my options as of now? The gun really has no monetary value as its in ROUGH shape, however he would like to hang it up on the wall or something. I am looking for a way to make it look somewhat decent without dumping a large amount of $$$ into it, or reverting to the "Krylon special" alternative. I had actually considered using engine paint and baking it, but not sure.

Your thoughts?