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The .38 Short Colt, as first introduced, used a heel type outside lubricated bullet of around .378" diameter, fine for converted .36 caliber percussion revolvers. When the long version (.38 Long Colt) was adopted by the Army in 1892, the bullet was changed to an inside lubricated type of .357" diameter, and that type and diameter was carried over to .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .357 Maximum.
The .38 S&W was introduced in 1876, much too late to be used in percussion conversions; it always had an inside lubricated bullet of a nominal .360" (SAAMI says .355" to .361"), but in practice, most modern loadings appear to use a .357" bullet.
Jim
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