.38 special: Suitable for autos?

[Cutaway]

Just asking, Is it possible to use an automatic chambered for the .38 revolver round?, Its just that the other day i was reading about the Owen submachine gun and found that one variant was made to fire the .38 special round. I liked the idea of extending the use of this cartridge other than being just used in revolvers.

http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg65-e.htm

[Secret Squirrel]

In 1951 or 1952 Jim Clark got started by converting 20 Colt .38 Supers to 38 Special.

Colt Gold Cup National Match Mark 111, mfd from 1960 to 74 was .38 Special. Opereated with a fixed barrel rather than a locked breech.

S&W Model 52, 38 Master. Made from about 1961.not sure if this is still in production.

All were designed to use a Mid Range Target Wad-cutter load. Projectiles usually seated flush with the case mouth.

2 major problems with a standard .38 Special as a round for a magazine feed pistol. A) The overall length of the cartridge would make gripping the pistol awkward for anyone with small hands.
B) Rimmed cases are very prone to jamming in the magazine unless loaded very carefully. One way to tell a novice with a Lee Enfield rifle or a Bren LMG is by the number of jams they have as a result of not loading the magazine correctly.