SD40 VE Slide Play

I just bought a Smith & Wesson SD40 VE and so far I really like it. Admittedly, it's not the best handgun I've ever fired, but it seems to be accurate and reliable so far. I was able to hit the black pretty well from 10-15 yards and that was basically all I hoped for. No FTF or FTE yet.

Anyway, I'm not exactly a novice but I'm not too experienced with semi-autos. I've generally leaned more toward revolvers and long guns. So tell me, how much play is reasonable in a slide? Because there's definitely some wiggle room on the SDVE. I realize it's not going to have the fit and finish of a costlier gun. And I know a lot of people like to have a little play in the slide to avoid jams. Is this normal? It rattles a bit if you really shake it and when you dry fire you can see the back of the slide move sideways just a fraction of an inch.

Again, it hasn't seemed to affect reliability or accuracy. Just curious. Thanks for the help!
 
The key FIT concern is barrel to slide, not slide to frame. If the barrel remains snug, and it shoots well with aimed fire, the "slop" isn't a concern.

More than one old 1911 I've fired had loose slide/frame fit, but were still pretty accurate.
 
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