38 spl in a 357 mag

[TriggerHappyGal]

If you reload, you can use 357 mag cases reduced down to 38 SPL levels. Pleasant to shoot and moves the "crud ring" forward where it isn't an issue.

Exactly what we do in our house.
As for shooting 38s in a 357 - no problem. I mean, think about it for a minute, Smith and Wesson for instance has been in the gun business for a long time. If they manufacture and market a gun as 38/357, don't you think it that they know a thing or two about whether that's okay or not to shoot both calibers that they advertise for that gun?
It was good for the OP to ask when he wasn't sure, and even better that he questioned the so-called knowledge of the "expert".

 

[Triple D]

Been shooting 38s out of my 357s (6 of them ) since about 1978 with no problems. Keep em clean they last forever.
They are made to shoot 38 and 357 both.

 

[haywire]

Good advise to clean the forcing cone. And speaking about S&W knowing what they're doing some of their model 19 & 66s have cracked their forcing cones when firing .357 through severe lead build up. Thus the model 586.