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I think a statement like "it is impossible to shoot a .38 S&W in a .38 Special" is based on the diameter of the case, not the diameter of the bullet. Even then, the statement is not true. I once checked and about half of my .38 Special revolvers would accept .38 S&W cartridges. The reason is that the cartridge and chamber tolerances of the two rounds overlap.
As to the bullets and barrel diameter, the usual statements are simply not valid any more, if they ever were. I just miked a bullet pulled from a Winchester .38 S&W round, bought a year or so ago. It mikes .356". Yes, folks, that is .356", not .360" or .361" or .365" or .380".
Further, I once slugged the barrels of an S&W Victory Model .38 S&W, a Webley Mk IV, and an Enfield Revolver No.2. Guess what? .357"-.358". (Did S&W actually make barrels for the .38 S&W or just mark them that way to match the chambering?)
My conclusion is that the cartridge case diameter in many cases doesn't matter, and that the supposed bullet difference just doesn't matter at all.
Jim
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