The ignition and column lock assembly was jamming. My problem had nothing to do with the VIN specific barrel/key combination. I believe that the column lock assembly had a key inside that was not machined properly, thus leaving the ignition key jammed frequently. I removed the internal key and that solved my problem, but this is a risky move since it could cause a number of more serious problems. Before you put your car back on the street make sure you have fully tested the results of removing the key piece from the assembly.
This video is meant to be an addendum to other videos out there surrounding removal and installation of both the assembly and key from inside the assembly. If you have questions about that, please watch those videos.