Looking at this again, it doesn't seem like it is going in the wrong way; the loop part of the guide rod (the part that gets crushed) is actually slightly off-set of center with the result that if I put it in the other way, the whole unit is slightly off-set, the angle of the rod and return spring look wrong (angling into the dust cover instead of being nice and straight / parallel to the barrel), plus, when I put it in the original way, the indent in the pin on the take-down lever obviously lines up with the spring loaded ball in the loop of the guide rod. Conclusion, it has to be going in the right way and I still need to figure out why it's being damaged. I'm going to order 2 new take-down pins and try again. If anyone has any other ideas, I would love to hear them.
Thanks.