My .50 Verner's rod is tapered, .430" at the nobby end, quickly tapering to 3/8" at the first & .320" at the second pipe and .310" (about 5/16")
at the start of the entry pipe which is appropriately sized. The rod continues to taper to .300" at the tip, which has a 1 1/2" long threaded brass ferule, also tapered
same angle as the rod.
Taylor made all the pipes to fit as the commercial pipes were not long enough and/or wrongly sized.
Verner - rod is .320" just fitting into this Taylor-built pipe.
Very graceful indeed. My .40 had a straight 3/8" rod. .32 and .36 have straight 5/16" rods.