Follow up from my 16 Aug. post.....

Got the gun back yesterday. They turned it around in 5 weeks; I guess that is not too bad in the world of gunsmiths. Paperwork accompanying the gun said they replaced the "Barrel Lock Block". No description of HOW it failed or what the problem was, but will give Smith points for identifying what was replaced; lot of companies in this day and age, just return stuff noted as "overhauled" or "repaired". What I did note at the time I sent it in was that a very small, what appeared to be a captive leaf spring that is held in a small groove in the Lock Block (you can see it directly above the take down lever) had come loose among whatever else could have been wrong. Anyway.....

I field stripped it....and the slide came right off, exactly as it should (which was the original problem: I could NOT remove the slide). Cleaned and lubed it; went to range. Put about 70 rounds through it. Functioned perfectly; zero issues of any kind. Good (small) groups for a small gun and the sights were pretty much zeroed. I was a happy camper...
Cleaned & lubed it again, and put another 70 rounds through it today and, again, perfect functioning and operation with 4 brands and types of ammo (i.e. what I have experienced from Smith & Wesson products over the years.). Their repair center got it fixed; happy about that, as I find the ergonomics on this little gun to be excellent and I "want" to like it. Now to put a few hundred more rounds through it to reach the point I feel I can "trust it" prior to every day carry. Smith did pay the shipping both ways, so you gotta give them credit for fully honoring their Warranty and taking care of the customer.