Baloney. Automatic and pistol shells look nothing alike. An experienced officer like Hill wouldn't make that mistake.
There are a lot of colt 1911's out there chambered for .38 special, and you can get Desert Eagles chambered for "revolver" cartridges like .357 magnum and .44 magnum. There are revolvers that are chambered for .380 ACP, 9mm luger, and other "auto" cartridges. rimfire .22 has been fired out of revolvers, semi-autos, pump-action, lever action, single shot, and hamster-driven firearms for decades. No matter what *you* think a cartridge was designed for, some gunsmith is willing to design a different sort of weapon around it, and has done so. It's been that way for a very long time.