Mishaps can occur with any of these beasties, not just the alloy frames. I will only buy alloy framed revolvers for CCW, however, where weight is that important - where they will only carry 'normal' rounds - in a well-proven form. This limits me to .38 & .44 Specials - my 642 and 296. They work - and will be infrequently shot from here on out. I have other plinkers!
I was shooting my 629MG several years back one Saturday - 240gr LSWCs over small amounts of fast burning Titegroup in .44 Russian and Special cases - 200 of them over the day. Then - out of short cases - there was one box of homebrews left - 300gr LSWC over 6.2gr Titegroup in .44 Magnum cases. I knew better - even had difficulty loading them. It was late - I just wanted to 'ping' the steel plates at 110yd again. I had four good shots - hit the plate with the fourth one - then, that fifth round burst the cylinder & topstrap, a rear site screw chipped my safety glasses, and the primer cut my arm. It made no recoil - and only a 'Boomfff!' when it went off.
When I called S&W, their first question concerned reloaded ammo - I was honest - it never saw commercial ammo again after they test-fired it. They wanted to see it - and sent a pick-up. They agreed with my assessment - and Hodgdon's. The long bullet left insufficient room for anything dangerous, load wise, much less a 'double'. It was the lead/carbon fouling/build-up in the chambers - it slowed the crimp release on that big old hunk of lead - produced a pressure spike. I knew better... refreshing, however. It wasn't my loads - or carelessness there. It was just wanton stupidity, whew!
S&W called me and offered to replace it for a pittance - less than half dealer's cost - I was shocked, as it was clearly my fault - I related that. They said it was for good 'customer relations' - and because I was honest. A couple days later, I had a new 4" 629 (No MGs on line then - had to wait a day for a 4"-er to come off the line, be shot, and shipped overnite to me - talk about fresh! ). They were/are top drawer, in my opinion. Of course, they kept the parts - destroyed in testing, etc, returning just the barrel as the only part still useful. That may be the case with the 329, too - so what 'legal' proof would you have as evidence? I'd happily pay the $90 - and just be thankful you weren't injured. I felt blessed - especially considering how stupid and careless I had been.
Stainz
PS Hidden above, perhaps, is experimental proof of that old axiom about Specials (...or Russians!) in a Magnum chamber: Always brush/clean your chambers before going to the longer and higher pressure Magnum rounds.
Local shop I frequent has under the counter the 340PD 329NG and 629 that's LNIB each time I drop in same old question "Hey Bob when ya gunna buy one of those Ultralites you have been fondling?" Now I can say with no regrets "NEVER!" I'm sticking with Old School and don't mind the extra weight. 
