I've got a 12 oz. J-frame. The light weight leads to strong recoil, which leads to (occasional) crimp jumping of my cheap target ammo (Blazers). It is very disconcerting to have a revolver jam once, let alone jam on three reloads in a row

I use Speer Gold Dots for carry. I assume they are much less likely to jump the crimp, but since they're too expensive to run a large test on, I don't know for sure.

Anybody have any pertinent experience/knowledge/references on the topic?

That's the real reason I'm willing to carry a steel gun. The few extra ounces are worth it to ensure my bullets don't jump the crimp. S&W advises lightweight revolver owners to try various ammo and and to only carry that ammo that doesn't work itself loose from recoil. A steel J frame or SP101 is light enough for easy carry and you don't have to worry about the gun jamming when you need it most. Just my opinion, some are annoyed by the 19-23 ounce unloaded weight of a steel snubby, I'm not. Easier to shoot with full power loads too.