How much free play should new timing chain have?

So I slid the new double roller timing set on the 318 and it has 1/2" of slop. Sealed Power KT3-160S that claims to be made in USA although the bag the cam sprocket was in said Taiwan. The chain does say USA. I was expecting a new chain to to be tighter than that.
Something is not right. The problem may be the chain itself, a manufacture's flaw? Extra link? Count the links on the old chain vs new one. Curious.
Norm