A visually size-gauging hollow needle assembly having a needle, stylet, and hub. At least one of a needle sleeve, needle bedding, needle attachment compound, or external indicia is size-gauging, generally by color, to indicate different sized (gauging) needles. In some embodiments, a hub sidewall has at least one external surface with at least one humanly tactilely discernible surface feature indicating the rotational relationship between the hub and the needle. An operator pinching the hub between a thumb and forefinger thus immediately feels these surface features, which may reflect the position of a needle barrel. When the assembly is rotated between the thumb and forefinger, these orientation features rotate as well, and the difference in tactile sensation immediately alerts the operator to the position of the needle bevel.
