The .38 Special caliber is kinda like the 9mm; no recoil worth worrying about, irrespective of platform (gun) or particular load.
OTOH, .357 Magnum is a round with sharp recoil and difficulty making fast followup shots in smaller guns, no matter who you are.
I will only carry .357 loads in all-steel guns weighing 25 oz. or more, with the Ruger SP101 being the smallest of that ilk that I'll actually use.
I've shot lots of .357 in revolvers like the Smith AirLites (12 oz.) on up to 3" steel Smith Model 60s, and it just isn't realistic to use this round for CCW in smaller, lighter guns than the Ruger SP101, IMNSHO. Sure, you can carry it in a 10 oz. gun and tell yourself you're well armed, but you're fooling yourself. You have a responsibility to be able to reliably place your shots where they're aimed, and to be in control of your cartridge-sidearm combination.