.38 Special and .38 Special +P are the same case length, different operating pressures. Both are completely safe in a .357 magnum revolver. Well...at least in a quality .357 revolver.
Send your gun back to Taurus. Something is wrong with it. In my experience, your first clue that something may be amiss with your revolver should have been the word "Taurus" on the box that it came in.
Taurus makes as nice a gun today as Ruger. You must be living in the past like the 90's.