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It is usually not possible to chamber .38 Super in a .38 Special or .357 Magnum revolver, since the cases will be too large in diameter.
BUT IT IS POSSIBLE to chamber .38 Super in most revolvers chambered for .38 S&W, and .32 ACP in most revolvers chambered for .32 S&W or .32 S&W Long. With old revolvers, breaktop and swing cylinder, firing those rounds can damage the gun and injure the shooter.
(The reason is actually simple. When developing his auto pistols, John Browning used the .32 S&W and the .38 S&W revolver cartridges in his first experiments. Later, he found the rims interfered with feeding and cut them down as much as possible, creating the semi-rimmed case. But for proper functioning auto pistols needed a higher and sustained pressure than the old black powder cartridges could give (this was c. 1898, remember) so he had to boost the .32 ACP and .38 ACP beyond what revolvers at that time could handle.)
JIm
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