Debates on the internet are not definitive indicators of the reality of any situation. Actual experience, of which I have decades, does seem to help though. The cleaning rod is smaller diameter than anything else you put down the barrel. Secondly, anything that MIGHT be rubbed against the bore by the rod has already been rubbed against it by the brush or the patch so all this worrying is for naught. If your rod is all covered with grime from a pass down the bore then stop shooting whatever ammo you're using. If it picks up any hard particulate at all (which is not realistic for a number of reasons) you'll have a hard time pushing on the rod hard enough to cause it to bow and touch the inside of the bore with sufficient force to do any damage at all. Barrels are made of steel, not meringue.