By Lauren Thornton Tobin

Hartselle Police Academy Alumni Association is hosting a handgun safety course from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Special Services and Citizens Police Academy building, 106 Sherrill St. southwest.

The $35 course is three hours in the classroom and one hour at the firing range, and teaches students the basic safety components of owning and operating a handgun, said Sgt. Kel Roberts.

This class may be a good idea for beginners or for those who don’t own a handgun because it goes over basics like how and where to best store a firearm, and the technicalities of a gun such as what happens inside the gun from the time the trigger is pulled until the bullet exits the barrel.

“It’s not a self-protection class or a home defense class; it’s purely handgun safety so you know how to use the weapon if you need to,” Roberts said.  “You learn how the gun functions and we explain in detail the safeties and dangers of storage in particular ways.”

Roberts said this particular class is in no way about tactics or self-defense.

“We go out to the range to ensure you know how to hit what you’re shooting at, but that’s about as far as we take it with this particular course,” he said.

Being out on the range allows students to get a feel for what type of handgun is easiest to operate for each person.

“This is a way you can get a feel for what’s comfortable before you go out and buy one,” Roberts said.

Those interested can register at the Hartselle Police Department’s Special Services Division website, www.hpdssd.com.