Currently I have half a dozen 38 Special shell plates, three that are marked with the U, and three that are not. On the Star parts list, the U meant that the part was for a Universal machine rather than a Progressive, so it could be that the 38 Special shell plates marked with a U were intended for Universal machines, but I tend to doubt it. I measured the shell plates that I have, and there isn't more that .002" difference in diameter between any of them.
I probably have over twenty shell plates, and only the 38 Special and 45 ACP shell plates are not marked to indicate the cartridge for which they were intended.