Just moved to Washington

I just moved to Washington bout a half a year ago and am looking to buy a handgun. I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to what laws (if any) there are which I should be aware of.
I went through the Washington Code and the Department of Licensing Regulations but all that gave me were laws regarding the carrying of a concealed firearm. I didn't see anything in terms of background checks, waiting periods, etc. if you are just buyng a gun.
Does anyone have any info on this? Or better yet, any suggestions of reputable gunstores I could go to to browse firearms and ask questions?
Thanks!

Welcome to the coolest state ever! :-) Anyways, I am not sure of any special Washington laws. You could check out www.packing.org - they have a state-by-state breakdown I think. The waiting period is 10 days without a concealed permit, or 0 days if you have one. I definitely recommend getting one, for many reasons. I don't know where you are located, but Wades in Bellevue is a good place to stop in. They have an indoor range with a pretty good assortment of pistols to rent and try out before buying. They are sometimes a little spendy to purchase though, so make sure you shop around. I also like Discount Gun Sales in Kirkland. They both have websites, but DGS's is the only one you can really shop on. Hope this helps.

thanks a lot for the help, I am going to go through that website and see what info I can get. I will definitely try and check out those stores, especially the one where you can try before you buy.
Thanks!