FelixD, I use slip on or lace on pads on several guns which I like, but which do not fit me well. The use of the pads allow me to enjoy shooting the guns without modifying them.
In the field they work well and I can scarcely think of an occasion where a pad has slipped or fallen off.
As a case in point, I enjoy shooting an old Scottish hammer gun. A handsome gun with fine balance, its stock is both too short for me and has too much drop. The use of a slip on pad and comb raiser makes the gun shoot where I look, and many a ruffed grouse has fallen to this combination. Most satisfying. When the gun returns home, off come the pads and no harm is done.
While the weight of the pads may have some effect on the handling, I am not conscious of it in the field. The esthetics are of course diminished while the pads are in place, but no one has laughed (at least not to my face). To me at least, the joy of shooting the old guns outweighs the temporary loss of esthetics.
It will do you no harm to experiment with velcro or lace on pads. I encourage you to try one, and to look at the Galazan leather comb raising kits as well (if appropriate). A gun that fits you is always more enjoyable to shoot than one that does not, and is infinitely preferable to a gun that is left in the safe.
Anton
