Let's see--AFS--A Fine Shooter. Just kidding; I really don't know what that means. I have a PT 99 and it is indeed a fine shooter. In fact, it is the only 9 mm that I have that is competitive against .22s for accuracy.
As for the looseness in the barrel; as you know, there is no bushing to guide the barrel, so some forced movement is possible. If you are talking about the barrel moving around just by shaking the gun, that, I would be concerned with.
I have been very impressed with the performance of my PT 99. It is very accurate, functions perfectly and it doesn't seem to be picky about ammo. It has never failed to feed, jammed, or done anything wrong.
Is it possible that your gun dealer has some other Tauruses to compare yours to for barrel tightness? If that isn't possible, maybe a call to Taurus USA would be in order. I don't think I would suggest e-mailing them. I did that and never got an answer.
GOOD LUCK