Marksman and Bulldog pellet production ends after nearly a century 

A legacy dating back to 1873

Lincoln Jeffries, the Birmingham firm behind Marksman and Bulldog airgun pellets, has discontinued pellet production. 

In a letter to customers, brothers and company directors David and Alan Jeffries cited a sharp fall in sales over the past 18 months, both in the UK and abroad, compounded by rising material and production costs. The company’s Summer Lane factory in Birmingham ceased production in March, bringing to a close a pellet-making tradition with deep roots in British airgunning.

In their letter, the directors thanked “all of our customers; the wholesalers, retailers and individual airgun shooters around the world who have supported us so loyally over the years”.

The family’s connection to the Birmingham gun trade began in 1873, when George Lincoln Jeffries set up at Whittall Street, producing sporting rifles and shotguns before going on to develop the Lincoln air rifle. It was not until the 1930s that his grandsons Len and Arthur began producing pellets under the name ‘British Marksman’, a brand that would eventually become simply ‘Marksman’.

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Peak production and global reach

By the 1970s, demand had grown to an estimated 25 million pellets a week, with the distinctive boxes distributed as far afield as Australia and South Africa. David and Alan Jeffries, great-grandsons of the founder, continued that tradition, producing round-head and pointed pellets in .177, .22 and .25 calibre until the end. 

“With all this history, you can no doubt imagine how difficult a decision this has been,” they wrote, “especially when, as a family, we have been connected to this industry for generations.”