This test gun is a London-made 30in .410 side-by-side sidelock by Smith & Torok. It is made on the Purdey-Beesley self-opening system with a rounded action bar. Maker Alex Torok is one of a team of ex-Purdey men who set up independently in 2013. Sadly, Mike Smith died a few years ago but Torok continues under the joint name in tribute to his friend and former bench colleague.

First impressions are of an elegant small-bore finished to highest London standard. This attractive but not overgaudy little gun weighs 5½lb. It balances on the hinge pin. It feels more solid than its weight might suggest. The wood is well figured, the silver finished action is decorated with Smith & Torok house rose and scroll developed by Martin Smith (Mike’s cousin). It is inspired by Purdey scrollwork but coverage is perhaps fuller. It is a little bolder in appearance, too, but it is still restrained (and beautiful).

The gun has a classic spec with a straight-hand stock with gold oval, splinter fore-end, double triggers, a beaded trigger guard and a concave rib on its chopper lump full and full choke barrels (made by Robin Rowley). The bead at the muzzles is nine-carat gold. There are 18ct goldline cocking indicators and a Purdey-style safety (but slightly higher in form for easy function with cold or wet fingers). The top lever has a thumb piece that is Boss inspired and rounded for comfort (but thicker and more Purdey-like to its front).

There are buffalo horn heel and top caps inletted into the chequered and well shaped butt sole. Unusually, the fore-end iron has a shallow step on its table, which comes back slightly over the barrel flats acting to protect the fore-end wood itself.

The stock here was made by Frenchman Hubert Castagne, a friend of Torok’s and another ex-Purdey man who came to England to do the work. It measures 15¼in for length (plus ⅛in at heel, plus ¼in at toe) with 3/16 cast-off. The comb is tapered with a very slight bow effect to the side in classic Purdey fashion. The grip is oval in cross-section, and superior, because there is adequate depth as well as width giving purchase and support.

The fore-end is interesting because it is slightly shorter than the average (7¼in) but perfectly suited to the gun. The butt sole is 5in in depth, also ideally proportioned to the gun.

Hand filing gives the metalwork a speciality quality and look

The action is Torok’s own work and speciality. He was an auctioneer at Purdey’s for 30 years before going out on his own to form Smith & Torok (after a brief spell working for another firm). Not surprisingly, the action shapes are again Purdey inspired but they are subtly changed. Torok says this of his methods: “I have gone back to traditional skills and shapes. I am not a great fan of CNC because it can limit you. For example, modern guns may have straight top straps as a consequence of the manufacturing process as they come off the machines, but I like to start any cast-off or -on at the back of the action.

“Ian Clarke supplies me with a partly machined action body and from the and from there I machine and file the body down to suit the individual client’s requirements.”

The result is a svelte action body (this may not be the narrowest sidelock .410 but it is probably the narrowest self opener – 19/16in across the breech and 1⅜in across the body of the action).

Smith & Torok guns can be supplied in oak and leather, canvas covered cases to Torok’s own specification. As well as being an auctioneer, he is a highly skilled case-maker and tool-maker.

His cases, which are not inexpensive, are distinguished by the use of oak bark bridle leather with dyed calfskin linings and nickel silver-mounted tools (inspired by the late Mike Marsh). Torok can also make knives in a similar style, and to similar standards.

Smith & Torok .410 Technical

In essence, this is an old-school Purdey-Beesley eight-pin sidelock reduced in scale and with some subtle changes. The action here is machined from EN34 steel, although Smith & Torok are now moving to EN36 because of its increased tensile strength and the need to future-proof with regard to steel shot. The London trade has been concerned with some guns failing proof recently – not unexpected as steel shot is driven at ever higher velocities. The tumblers of the test gun are driven by folded V-springs, not the wire-cut ones that many best makers use. In the clever Purdey-Beesley design, one limb is used to power the tumbler (hammer) and the other the self opening mechanism. Ejection has been developed significantly to accommodate the smaller gauge. Extractor throw is increased and the ejector cocking ‘lifters’ – which act on a rod going through the action table to compress the mainspring – have been re-positioned to assist closure.

Shooting impressions

This was a remarkable gun to shoot. Just about everything was right. With the spec and actioning by Alex Torok, engraving by Martin Smith, finish and regulation by David Sinnerton, it represents a Who’s Who of the modern British gun trade. I am delighted to say it shot superbly. Trigger pulls were crisp, the balance was ideal. I used Lyalvale 2 ½in (14g No 6s) and 3in (18g) loads and nothing was missed over about 60 birds. The high point was connecting with a 50-yard crosser. The gun was wonderful to shoot; for a .410, it was extraordinary. We have tested a similarly brilliant Purdey .410 – an over-and-under built around a pair of old barrels found in the workshop. This gun matches it as a side-by-side; £60,000 is a fair price for such a marvellous creation.