What's your opinion on the slack in this 318 timing chain?

roll dice and let it ride or throw $100 at it as cheap insurance.

are you a gambling man? is it a performance oriented application?

if this is just bread and butter 2bbl or a no juice 4bbl cruiser i'd button that up and ship it. that $100 is better spent on dancing girls and opium.
I guess you didn't get the memo. Inflation.