You are in for a treat - you're going to love that rod!!!
I have an 8'6" 5 wt. Right now, I have a CFO III on it, but have a Tibor Tailwater on order. Nothing wrong with the CFO, I just like the Tibor reel better. The Tibor is 0.6 oz heavier. I don't really notice a difference between the reels when casting. Can't tell you anything else about that subject.
Yep, this is normal! Don't try to force them closer! They are called spigot ferrules. I am not a rod builder, so there is probably a lot more to this, but the energy transfer between rod sections is supposed to be smoother with this type of ferrule.