Help me save a rifle

[Prepper_Pig]

About 3 years ago my step-dad, a career Navy man on subs, gifted me a low number 1903 receiver, trigger housing, and barrel. He picked it up in California when he was stationed there sometime in the 1960s or 70s he thought. Someone had re-barreled it converting it to .300 Win Mag and likewise opened up the bolt face. This was a common conversion when .300WM hit the market so I’ve read. He told me he’d like to see it brought back to life.

Fast forward to today. My step-dad is already in pretty bad health with COPD and heart problems but to make things even worse he found out last week he has colon cancer. So this project has got to get done now so I can fulfill a promise.

Being a low-numbered receiver, and the fact that someone has already turned the receiver into Swiss cheese with all the peep sight and scope mounting holes, I figure it’s best to turn it into a .22. I’m split on the best (and most economical) way to accomplish this. Ideally I’d like to make it into a .22 1903a4 clone but that’s not absolutely necessary. I know where to source most of the normal rifle parts and wood from but the .22 conversion parts have me stumped. I’d rather not drop $700-1000+ on a Numrich conversion kit and I’ve read that the 1922 m2 trainer parts will work I’d just need to source them along with a m2 barrel. Conversely I could have a .30-06 barrel sleeved but I’d need another part to bridge the gap between the barrel and m2 bolt or so I’ve read. I’d also like for it to be magazine fed instead of single shot. Most of the M2 parts are out there right now except for barrels and I just need to know what to buy or who I can send it to.

Can anyone with more knowledge than me make this idea work? Thanks for any tips or advice in advance.

https://imgur.com/a/GkyY6rk