My Brio weighs in at 29.1 oz with lipo. Ive not noticed any of the snapping tendancy you have mentioned.

This weekend Ill yank hard on it to test it. Im thinking you had something wrong with the airplane. The elevator is very important in this matter. If the two elevators dont equal each other when you pull it will snap everytime. Reinforce the joiner between the two elevator halves with carbon. The elevator MUST stay even during a pull. If one side of the elevator has slightly less throw, it will snap and snap quickly in a hard pull.