RE: do you buy online?
Yes, I do, but not as much as I used to. The pros: online dealers often sell for less than dealers with a storefront. The cons: unless you've bought from the same person before, you don't know what you're going to get until it ships. And if you don't get what you were sold, you have to send it back and start shopping all over again.
I don't recommend that people go over their budgets, but if you can afford to pay a little extra at agood local dealer, go for it. The service makes a big difference, and there are few surprises. Oh, almost forgot--don't forget about shipping and transfer costs. Usually $20 S&H plus anywhere from a $20-$50 transfer fee from the FFL you're having it shipped to.
I still buy foreign milsurp weapons online because they canbe difficult to find outside of gun shows and prices are spectacular online.