SOUTH BEND — Owning a gun comes with the responsibilities of knowing how to handle, clean and properly shoot it. Many first-time gun owners are often too timid to get the training they need. But the South Bend FOP 36 is offering a handgun class for beginners next week.

"We wanted to do something through the FOP that could help educate people about firearms," explained South Bend Police Cpl. Sheldon Scott. "Safety is the big reason we're putting it on."

Two women who took the FOP's first basic pistol class told WSBT they did it because they wanted personal protection.

"We just wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing with the handguns we purchased," explained one woman.

Cpl. Scott said it's important for people who have a handgun or may have inherited one to be comfortable with using it.

"You buy a gun and then you don't know what to do with it once you get it home," he said. "You just don't feel comfortable handling it, so it's very important to get the fundamentals of safety down, the proper way of storing it and handling it and basic marksmanship."

People who take the class will learn safe firearms handling; how to select, clean and store a firearm; firearms parts and operation; ammunition and its function and shooting fundamentals.

Each participant is required to bring wrap around eye protection (safety glasses), hearing protection, a pistol, 100 rounds of pistol ammunition and a baseball hat.

"When you're shooting semi-automatic firearms, [the baseball hat] keeps the hot brass, the spent casings that are ejected from the firearm from landing on your forehead or getting in your eye," Scott said.

The classroom portion of the training is scheduled for Thursday September 4 and the range portion will be Saturday September 6. The entire course costs $100 per person, but includes a membership to the FOP shooting range. The registration deadline is September 1.

For more information visit the FOP #36 website.

The FOP's basic class is open to anyone who can lawfully own a firearm or who is not a convicted felon.