IrishCop:
(PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS DRAFTED BEFORE THE POSTING FROM YOU AT 0646HRS THIS DATE; I WASN'T ABLE TO SEND IT UNTIL NOW.)
You don't know me and I might be a bit blunt or careless in my words here so please forgive me for anything I say that might sound offensive. I don't mean it to be. I'm just trying to help.
You indicate that it took you a while to learn how to maneuver the chair. That's not only understandable but also implies to me that it is not a motorized device but a self-powered one. That means you have upper body, arm and hand considerations. [Not necessarily part of the topic here but are you wearing gloves? If you aren't now, you might find yourself considering them in the future. Wearing them and both drawing a gun (regardless of the holster) and firing one is something else you will need to think about as you go forward.]
You also don't indicate the cause of your being in the chair and whether or not it has any affect on the rest of your body. Furthermore, you don't indicate how you are built or how you "fit" in, or relate dimensionally to, the chair (primarily the width but also your waist/torso height as related to the armrests). All of these points can determine what would be a starting point for you in your search for a way to carry.
I am not asking you to reveal any of these things here so I will base my suggestions on a number of possibilities involving them. I will also limit my suggestions to the two guns you mentioned (although I would think that you might be better served by something else, as you will see later).
Again, I apologize for my being brusque.
First, I think that you were right in ruling out Pocket Carry; at least in the traditional sense. To be blunt, you'd never be able to produce the gun successfully under stress (within the time frames required) in the seated position you are in. Forget anything involving a pants pocket holster.
Second, you should "re-rethink" the 1911. As I have written elsewhere on this forum, I am a big bore fan and a fan of that platform. But not only is it big gun that I l believe would be hard to conceal in this situation, but it might also be hard to shoot. I don't know, but I am assuming if you are a regular here (the site shows 280 postings making me think that), then you know how to shoot. However just like getting thru those doorways that you mentioned (and that you were always good at before), there can be serious issues when trying to fire a semi-auto (any semi-auto) from the sometimes contorted positions one can find themselves in while seated.
This shows up most often in advanced classes where seated drills are more common and in programs dealing with shooting from the inside of vehicles. Standing drills almost always allow us the ability to turn to deal with the threat. So no matter what direction it comes from, we can somehow bring ourselves to bear directly upon it. However, people strapped into their car seats or seated at tables from which they cannot rise up learn the differences and difficulties quickly and you have probably already seen something of the same when somebody outside your field of view merely addresses you and you can't turn yourself readily to address them the way you have in your whole life up until now.
People in those classes, sometimes find that their semi-autos can malfunction. There can be a lot of reasons for this but generally, it is because the gun is not supported as strongly in these odd, upper body, arm and hand contortions than it is when one is holding it solidly and shooting straight ahead. You can't risk this happening to you. Again, I'm not saying you aren't a good shot but those people in advanced classes were good too.
So I suggest that you stick with the revolver.
Next, I would look at positioning: overall positioning; not just where on the body you might think is best to carry the gun. I don't know how you fit in that chair and, again, I am not asking you to tell me. I am, however, asking you to be objective in looking at this physical relationship yourself. Even if you are of average build, depending on the size of the chair but mainly on the design of the chair (its side panels/armrests), anything carried on the strong side of the body is going to be difficult to reach and produce. If you are of average size, it will be problematic and if you are large in relation to the chair (width), it might reach a point (as the gap between you and the upright narrows) that it will become impossible to produce the weapon.
Let me jump for a moment to something else. Comfort. Remember, even if you think that you have the room to reach between your body and the upright to access the gun, you need to make sure that anything you carry there is comfortable to carry there. And you need to look at this from at least two directions. Things like Behind-the-Hip carry are not only going to be hard (if not impossible) to access but the gun pressing into you back there (because of the both the seatback and maybe the armrest upright) and (depending on the holster) the seat bottom itself pushing upward on a longer gun (that 1911 again) will be no fun either. Neither will be anything carried off the body and in between the body and the armrest upright if it is constantly pressing into you for long periods of time.
Again, I am not asking you to tell me why you are in the chair nor I am asking you if you have any "feelings" in your legs (or buttocks or side/lower back). But if you do, anything pressing into them like this will first drive you crazy and second become painful. And, without being harsh or reminding, it's not like before when you could stand up or easily shift your body position to relieve it for a few minutes and start over. Even if you have no topical sensation in your legs (buttocks or side/lower back), having something pressing or worse yet, rubbing, into them can (as you probably know by now) cause all kinds of issues with the skin.
So if you think that any of what I've said so far has merit, let's look at where you might be able to carry it.
I think that a crossbody position could make sense but I would tend to advise against a Shoulder Rig for you will always need some sort of covering garment and because of your situation, I don't think that will be easy to achieve. First of all, as you change environments, you might want to take that outer layer off, and you can't. That mind not sound like much when talking about it but in real life, it will grow old fast.
Then, considering the confining width of the chair (and its armrests), I think that you could have some difficulty with any kind of closed front garment (like your sweatshirt) that would normally be lifted up and out of the way to produce the gun. And an open front garment (like a jacket, vest or sport coat) could be problematic, for in many cases, depending on its length, it cannot "hang" like it does when a person is standing. This is because when you are sitting in a chair, the bottom of it can come in contact with your legs or in contact with the chair (especially the armrest uprights) and it cannot slide out and off to the side, causing the garment to "pooch" forward (a technical term). As a result, it becomes way too easy for somebody to "look in" (the forced open garment) and see the gun.
There is also an issue with something worn under the arm (even in the type of gun-carrying shirts mentioned in this thread) in that your arms aren't necessarily going to be as "free" and generally away from the body as they might be on someone who is not sitting down all the time (and generally don't have the armrests and their uprights to deal with when they do). They also don't have to move their arms in the manner you must in order to wheel yourself around.
When not moving, you could have problems with the gun interfering with the armrest when you drape your arms outside the chair and you could have problems of compressing the gun against you when you fold your arms across your chest or merely bring them inboard the confining width set by the armrest uprights. Again, a lot of this has to do with how you are built and how you relate to the size and design of the chair but it could be an issue.
Depending on the type and size of the chair you do have (and again, how you fit/sit within it), your arms might form more of an inverted "L" and create some clearance when you reach, grab and drive the handrims (I assume that you have neither a one-arm drive nor a lever-drive chair), but once more, I think there is the possibility for interference between the gun and the armrests and a tendency to drag the arm back and forth across a gun carried in this location when powering yourself around.
Additionally, with all the movement in the chest, shoulders and back (in addition to the arms and hands - you have probably discovered some muscles you forgot you had), getting a harness to work with you in a comfortable manner could take a lot of time and experimentation; and a lot of it at a cost but without great success.
The thread-mentioned chest holster might minimize some of that but concealing it on an every-time-you-are-out-and-about manner would be even worse (generally a lot worse) than for those holsters and methods already described. So let's not consider Shoulder Holsters at this point in your search.
But before I continue on with the across-the-body location concepts, let's take a look at Fanny Packs and that Hoodie Handwarmer Tunnel concept that were mentioned in the thread. I am convinced that for general uses, fanny packs have become passé. People see them and just assume that it contains a firearm. In your case though, maybe not. People know that you can't carry a wallet, keys, cash, and things like knives like most folks so in your case, a small pack would be something not necessarily screaming out "gun in here".
However, you have to look at a number of things. Where do you position it? Across your abdomen? First, you have to consider your build and any other issues you might be having. Even if you are thin or of average build carry it upfront like this makes it very obvious (as a storage pod for valuables, not necessarily a gun carrying device); not really a good thing. If you have something of a belly, this condition will intensify. And it could grow uncomfortable and maybe even clumsy. Finally, if you are having any medical problems in this area, you might not be able to even use this location (or method).
But if you move it to the side (either side) you will need room for it in regard to the armrest uprights and once more, that could be a problem with the bulk that many such bags posses. And again, on the strong side, you also need the room for your hand, arm and shoulder to be able to reach down into it to draw the firearm. Additionally, you need to make sure that the thing isn't getting in your way when you arms are not outside the body of the chair powering or steering yourself around. You might find it interfering with your elbow or forearm a good deal of the time. Again, something that will annoy you in no time flat. (NOTE: You not only need the room for your hand and arm to reach into the bag but independent of the how you fit in the chair, you also need the personal range of motion to do so within the cramped/confined space created by the strong side carry location itself. Make sure you have that too.)
Sidebar: I hate to keep reminding you but you just don't have the options available to you (that conventionally mobile people do) to adjust to things that we hang on our bodies. People learn how to walk with ankle holsters without bumping into them. People wear a fanny pack either in a location where there is no interference to start with or they learn how to swing their arms and not drag across it. Stop and think where your arms are when you are not moving. How many options do you have?
Finally, when it comes to fanny packs, how does it operate? You can't just wedge it between you and the chair and rip open or unzip the front panel types for not only does this take room to accomplish that you might not have but generally the bag has to be anchored down; usually around you. You might be able to strap it around the armrest upright but not only will you have to be careful to keep any extra belting from flopping around near the spokes but once more such a location limits the position of the inboard carried bag to a place between the side of the chair to which it is looped and you; perhaps causing the comfort and annoyance issues we've already discussed. So with most any true Fanny Pack (there is an option I will discuss later) you have problems of location, operation and comfort. As I tell the people in my programs, there are always difficulties and concessions in this business of holster selection: you don't get something for nothing. But for now, maybe you should bypass conventional Fanny Packs.
Regardless of the "gangsta" connotations, I do like the Hoodie Handwarmer Tunnel idea that "William R. Moore" suggested. As he mentioned, numerous companies make hook or loop covered holsters that are designed to be secured against mating loop or hook covered surfaces. It wouldn't be hard to go to a craft store or industrial supply house and get the matching material to apply to the tunnel and position both it and the holster correctly. (NOTE: There is more to it than just buying any old hook or loop and sticking it together for this stuff is sold by type or number depending on application but it's not a big deal to do right.)
I would, however, recommend sewing and not relying on adhesives to attach it to the fabric. And I would look at the potential for any excessively exposed "hook" surfaces for except for the molded type hooks (not impossible to find but still not that common); the conventional ones can be quite abrasive; leading to both skinned knuckles and a prematurely worn garment.
Just make sure that you select a holster that works with a shrouded hammer, will allow you access to the gun and will allow for the revolver's removal in such a confined space.
One thing that I've seen done is the use of a Pocket Holster in such non-pants "pockets" and this is what I was alluding to earlier in regard to this design. People routinely use them in jacket and coat pockets so I don't see why (with the right model - perhaps a lightweight synthetic fabric holster to limit weight and bulk) such a thing, if properly designed, wouldn't work for you here. I've even seen such holsters modified so that they can be hook-and-looped in place for these applications (as such pockets are generally bigger than most pants offer). But while I think that is an interesting idea, I can't, for personal liability reasons (here mine and not yours) recommend such modifications and I hope you understand.
But once again, there are drawbacks in carrying a gun in this manner/location. Even going under the assumption that you are conventionally shaped (and don't have a large belly or other medical condition, which could cause all kinds of problems with carrying in this way and location), your Model 49, while ideally shaped for pocket carry is a heavy gun and it could grow annoying if positioned here for long periods of time. That must be considered and is one of the reasons I tend to recommend alloy guns for daily carry. If you can afford a new gun, I'd look at an alloy, internal hammer gun, rather than a steel, shrouded hammer one. You can't reduce the bulk with such a gun but you can (significantly) reduce the weight and by going to an enclosed frame, you can minimize (not eliminate) the issue of contaminates from the pocket getting into the gun.
The other thing is the draw. Again (once more, I must be blunt), you are not standing. You have to look at the length of the sweatshirt so the gun is positioned where you want it. Is the tunnel high enough that the gun rides across your abdomen? Or is it so low that the gun (tunnel) lies across your lap? You have to decide what works for you in terms to every-hour-you-carry comfort. And then you have to look at that location and once again decide if you can draw from it. You have to have horizontal/lateral movement in order to remove the gun from the tunnel so again you have to look at the armrest and its upright and make sure that it either doesn't get in the way of your arm/elbow or that you can work within the limited boundary it sets. You have to be very objective here.
Along these same lines would be the use of a comfortable Belly Band. First, you would have to find one that fits you, is comfortable, and doesn't irritate your skin. Then depending on how high along the body you wear the rig (not all "belly" bands are worn on the "belly"), you might have to find one that perhaps carries the gun more forward on the chest or abdomen rather than under or near the arm. It also needs to accommodate the gun you choose. The 1911 would probably be out of the picture here due to its size and I think that once again, the Model 49 would be a heavy gun for this kind of carry. But that would be your call. As to the covering garment, if it is only the sweatshirt you are wearing and if you are careful as to its length (too long a shirt while seated can be a problem) and if the gun is carried in a crossbody manner, you should be able to lift the garment up and clear the gun with the weak hand and draw the weapon with the strong one within the space you have. However, you still need to both verify and practice that (more on the 'practicing" part later) to make sure that it works for you.
The issue here is that wearing something over the sweatshirt will more than likely hamper (or maybe as much as render it impossible) to lift the shirt and draw the gun. So maybe then, you start wearing button front shirts so that somehow (there are more than several methods) you can reach inside and draw the weapon with a jacket or something else in place over it. I assume you are male so I hope that you are right-handed for the way the placket on men's garments are sewn, if you plan to just slip your hand inside (thorough a previously undone button or perhaps by separating a hidden hook-and-loop closure) and not somehow tear the shirt open (snaps/hook-and-loop again) and you are left handed, it won't work. At least not without a lot of effort.
There's a lot going on here and this is assuming that you are built "right" to wear a Belly Band in the first place and that you can find one that is comfortable to wear for long periods of time with a sharp cornered revolver (the cylinder can be quite annoying). Plus the drawing techniques are going to be quite different from the ones you are used to and if you use the slip-the-hand-thru-the-placket technique, there could be further problems if you start wearing gloves. So maybe you should look for something simpler.
If it were me and that Hoodie Handwarmer Tunnel doesn't work for you for any of the reasons given (and I'd at least give it a try with a soft-bodied synthetic Pocket Holster of the type originally offered by Uncle Mike's and BLACKHAWK! or maybe one of the those with a tackier outer surface as now seen from Tuff Products or DeSantis) or if a very small Fanny Pack can't be worn around your waist [so that it will: a) stay with you when you get out of the chair; and b) be better supported so that he bag can be opened as it was originally designed] and work for you either (and I am still very reluctant about them for so many of them open in a manner not compatible with sitting), then think about this.
Uncle Mike's, BLACKHAWK!, DeSantis, and now a few others make a small zippered pouch that looks like a little camera case or something you'd put a pair of binoculars in. It's about the size of a very small day planner. Except that it is zippered only along one side (the top) and instead of a single compartment, it has two inside. One that can't be seen even when the bag is wide open for it is closed off by a matching false rear wall that is hook-and-loop secured.
Normally the pouch is worn on the user's belt to which it is attached (at least in the case of the Uncle Mike's and BLACKHAWK! models) by two injection molded belt loops. I would suggest that you have somebody find you a used, heavyweight 2" nylon duty belt out of a junk bin at some local gun shop. Cut a section maybe two inches longer than the pouch. You'll probably need to experiment a bit in this respect. Then go to a real shoe (or leather repair (or maybe tack) shop and have the guy rivet one end to synthetic fabric that makes up the "weakside" sidewall of your chair. But have him use two snaps (vertically, top and bottom; not horizontally, one after the other) to secure the other end; probably the end toward the front of the chair so it is easier to access.
And while I don't like them for some applications, I think directional or so-called "one-way" snaps might work best here. That way if somebody yanks on the pouch (or if, under stress, you pull too hard on the back wall to open it) the snaps shouldn't come undone but you should still be able to easily grasp the tip of the exposed belt segment and peel them open so that you (or a designee) can take the bag with you when you are transferred from the chair. I would position the bag as high on the upright as possible that way it won't interfere with your leg. Of course, you need to make sure that it isn't so high that the width of the armrest impedes access or that it bothers your arm or elbow but its really flat profile should limit that body-interference issue.
(NOTE: If you are concerned over the fabric/synthetic material that often makes up the sidewalls of these chairs, have the guy grommet the holes first to prevent them from tearing at this point. If you have a metal or plastic walls, then you merely have to drill thorough them to locate the rivets and the snap studs or posts.)
I know that this option is more work than just buying something and wearing it but I think that it could very well meet your needs and not offer anybody a clue as to what was going on. In fact, you could actually leave the bag open (unzipped) with your cell phone or a maybe a pair of glasses or a small notebook in the open front pouch and even people giving it a second look won't know what's going on.
You could also consider this top-loader pouch in place of the conventional Fanny Pack we've been discussing on the body and not fixed to the chair as it's extremely small size and the fact that you don't have to do any major unzipping (clumsy) or tearing away (awkward while sitting) or breaking downward (all but impossible when sitting) could make it a much better choice. Again, you must have the body shape for it, as I would recommend carrying it at, or at least toward the front on the weakside (if not in the front altogether) and here you would need a belt. For that purpose, I would recommend a soft fabric one for comfort but one that is still strong enough for this purpose. The good thing is that as there is no great effort needed to expose the back wall, the pouch (and therefore the belt) does not see a great forward or downward load during the drawstroke.
Finally, if all that wasn't enough, you've got to practice. Not only to become proficient with whatever holster you employ (and again if you have the room to access and draw the weapon in an unencumbered manner, I'd really try out that Pocket Holster in the Hoodie Handwarmer Tunnel concept with your Model 49) but also to make sure that you are proficient in shooting the gun from a seated position. It's not always as easy as it looks; especially in regard to the targets off to your side (both sides) that I opened this whole discussion with. Those contortions might be problematic at first or, if they prove to be insurmountable, they might also show you (well ahead of any life-threatening encounter) just what your limits are in that regard.
You also have to learn how shoot upward into threats that are standing around you. Something else that even if you are a seasoned shooter, you might not be practiced in doing.
And if you start wearing gloves as related to powering the chair, you need to practice both the draw and the firing of the handgun with them for they could bring about surprising results in both regards. And just as in those contortions mentioned above, you want to be "surprised" by such things well before you ever have to produce the gun in response to a deadly force threat.
Hope this helps and I hope you don't mind wading through the logic behind my recommendations. I thought that would help; especially as I don't get here all that often and I didn't know when I would be able to respond to any questions.
