When you bust a cap and major parts of a gun like the barrel leave the frame, I got no problem with the term "blew up".
That happening twice to you is almost incomprehensible. I'm glad you weren't seriously injured and I certainly understand your chagrin. I've been around shooting and shooters more than 4 decades and I've never known of another person who had the same catastrophic failure TWICE with the same model of gun!
To sum up, we're good up to here- two guns blew up, you got burned, and I don't blame you for being disappointed, angry, and less than confident in S&W's. NO problem.
Here is where our viewpoints diverge seriously:
Now THAT is exageration.
I saw this thread on the 2nd or 3rd day, so Alk's post had been more than adequately handled in the first 24 hours in my opinion. After almost a month, he has not replied or even tried to defend his statement.
scooter's 'opinion' of burns was simply ignored by most of us, since almost all living people have had a burn that didn't blister.
So, I disagree with your assessment. This board is moderated much tighter than most big gun boards. Opinions differ and eloquence, directness, and terminology varies from individual to individual. This is a very different board from what it was years ago. Removing every dissenting opinion from a discussion board doesn't leave much discussion.
You painted with way too broad a brush there.