Leosa can be a quirky critter. When I arrived here in the Keystone State you were pretty much on your own so to speak. The local Sheriff allowed me to shoot with his agency as I was a County employee but did not issue me any paperwork as there was none from the state at that time. He assured me he would vouch for me should the need arise and he was and is a good man and his voracity was not in question. I fired a semi auto and carried same.
Shortly thereafter, I was referred to a small local PD as the Sheriff's Office qualified at a State Prison's range and I would not be able to go as I wasn't a certified Leo. Liability you see. I shot with the small PD and used both a revolver and semi auto and wrote my own version of a permission slip and the range officer certified same and I carried that with me. My state had not as yet come up with a program.
Several years later, that PD's range officer wasn't doing it and I was unable to secure another to do the same so I shot in NY state when a sympathetic NYPD Sgt. retired took me so I was legal. I shot a revolver and a semi auto and was clear to use any or both no matter the caliber's. I saw a retired NYSP Trooper use a Ruger MkII to shoot his course. He advised it was cheaper so he used it. I didn't blame him.
MY state finally got it's stuff together and came up with state recognized firearms instructors who could qualify us old guys and when we did we had to shoot each and every weapon we intended to carry under LEOSA and all of this was forwarded to Harrisburg and a card was issued by the instructor to the retiree stating you qualified in essence and you had to go see the Sheriff and pay your 5 clams and you were set.
I just shot a month ago and was advised by the LEOSA qualified instructor that I only need shoot one semi auto or one revolver and that would cover me for any other weapon of similar type. Good by me.
I was advised in a class taught by an attorney who specialized in LEOSA that it was HIS recommendation that if you will be carrying under LEOSA that you use a weapon that is on your former agency's list of approved firearms and preferable loaded with your former agency's duty ammunition. He was very specific if you were an active officer to follow the aforementioned advice. LEOSA,....... to quote The Grateful Dead,. What a long strange trip it's been.