Question: is 38 special and 38 s&w the same

Answer: No, The .38 S&W (9×20mmR) is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Versions of the cartridge were the standard revolver cartridges of the British military from 1922 until the 1960s. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Smith & Wesson Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter.