Maybe. You need to figure out which .38 your Colt is chambered in. .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt guns will not chamber a .38 Special. .38 Colt Special is the same as regular .38 Special. If you cannot tell which caliber it is you need to take it to a gunsmith and have him tell you.
.38 Special. It can also fire .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt. Do not attempt to fire .38 S&W from a .38 Special.
The .38 Short Colt catridge may be safely fired in a .38 Special revolver. Not ALL 38 Colts- .38 Short Colt.
Colt .38 New Police was the Colt name for .38 S&W. Same ammo.
There are a dozen different cartridges with 38 in their name, and SOME are compatible with the .357 Magnum. A .357 will fire .38 Special, .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt- but NOT .38 S&W.
Not recommended
.38 Special, .38 Long Colt, .38 Short Colt. .38 S&W CANNOT be used in a .38 Special. .38 Special can be fired from a .357 Magnum weapon, but .357 Magnum cannot be fired from a .38 Special weapon.
There are several .38 calibers out there which have had revolvers chambered for them. .38 Special and .38 Colt Special are the same thing, so if you have a .38 that is either one of those two the answer is yes. .38 S&W, .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt are not interchangeable with the .38 Special, so if you have an older gun that is one of those, the answer is no. If you can't figure it out, check with a reputable gunsmith.
The .38 Special can fire .38 Special, or .38 Long Colt. It cannot fire the .38 S&W, which is fatter and shorter.
The pistol fired the .38 Long Colt cartridge, not to be confused with the .38 Smith & Wesson Special (.38 Special), .38 Super, .38 Short Colt, or any other cartridge marked as .38 or .380. That is the only ammunition type which can be fired through this pistol. Current production .38 Long Colt ammo may be run through this pistol. However, I would advise you to have a competent gunsmith inspect the pistol to ensure it is in a condition where it is safe to fire first.
Your weapon would take the 38 special. Be careful with the older Colt Double Action Revolvers. If the barrel indicates 38 "Special" - only then would it take that cartridge. Typically if the barrel states 38 New Police the revolver with take the 38 S&W ammunition, either short or long depending on the length of the cylinder (Colt could not bring themselves to roll stamp S&W on their revolvers. When the barrel shows just "38" this would indicate the 38 Colt Round, either short or long - again depending on the length of the cylinder.
No, you cannot.