Neil Keyes Blanchard, Oklahoma

Neil Keyes, born on July 17, 1939 grew up in Bozeman, Montana. He made his first gunstock while earning a B.S. degree in Film & Television Production from Montana State University. Neil was greatly influenced in the art of custom gunmaking when producing the film "One Rifle", a 30 minute documentary featuring Leonard Brownell, a famous custom gunmaker from Sheridan, Wyoming. The film clearly shows Mr. Brownell building from scratch to finish an exquisite French walnut custom stocked center-fire rifle. Neil continued a thirty three year career in film & TV work and because of an early born passion and appreciation for custom gunmaking many of his productions involved other accomplished and/or skilled gunmakers. From the knowledge and background gained working with these artisans, Neil has built several modern style rifle & pistol stocks and in recent years---three percussion firearms, two flintlock rifles, one fowler, and a flintlock pistol for his own personal use. His gunmaking education also includes extensive reading, closely observing original guns, and attending four muzzleload building workshops and seminars, two of which were at the J.M. Davis gun museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. He also studied under Jess Melot, The Rifle Shoppe in Jones, Oklahoma learning how to assemble and finish flintlock mechanisms. Neil joined CLA in 2001 as a part time artisan.

Neil Keyes is presently working on a limited edition of 15 Model 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifles as a commemorative to the Lewis & Clark Expedition. He is making a concerted effort to make these rifles museum quality replications with attention to details such as inspection marks and cartouche stampings. They are serial numbered with numbers of the style or font used in the early 19th century. To date, rifles serial number 001 through 004 have been sold. Serial number 006 is finished and ready for a buyer. Numbers 005 and 007 are three-fourths complete. These rifles, using castings derived from an original 1803 are near to exact original specifications and are built to shoot. Those test fired were very accurate along with a fast lock time. However, thus far only one customer shoots his custom 1803 the rest say they are to pretty and hang it up for display only.

Neil Keyes can be contacted at 405-485-4672 or 405-414-5387.