Yup. I do this on my SOTAR needles too, for the same reasons. I too like to pull the needle forward instead of back when cleaning, and having the ball sticking out the back of the brush is practically begging for it to get bumped in a way that'd mash the nozzle.
I use a dremel wheel to cut the needle, and a diamond fishhook sharpener to deburr & bevel the cut (I didn't buy it for this, it's just something that was already in my toolbox that happens to work really well).
My tip: mark the cut so the needle will never stick out the back of the handle even with the ball removed. Start with the brush fully assembled, and the preset knob dialed all the way out. Have a fine point sharpie already open on the bench beside you. Reach into the handle cutout , grab the needle chuck, and pull it back as far as it will go. While holding it there, screw the preset knob back in until it just touches or almost touches the chuck, and then use the sharpie to mark the needle right where it emerges out the back of the preset knob.