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I have a question on barrel & handguard length as it relates to a supressor.
I also want the absolute tightest fit from rail to suppressor but I plan to thread the supressor to the barrel.
How much extra longer goes the barrel need to be than the handguard to clear the supressor? 1/4"? 1/8"?
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On my 8" bbl 300BLK I have the 7.5" Samson Evolution rail. The hand guard inside diameter is something like 1.56". The outside diameter of my Templar Ark30 (screw-on) suppressor is 1.5". When screwed on, my suppressor is about a quarter inch inside the hand guard and looks quite nice to me. I know this doesn't answer your exact question, but the bbl length and hand guard length doesn't have as much importance when the suppressor fits inside the hand guard. Oh, my bbl sticks out about 5/16 inch when no suppressor is mounted...in that case I either put a thread protector or flash hider on, mainly to protect the threads.
If the suppressor is a screw-on type and will not fit under the hand guard, assuming the bbl is threaded 5/8x24, then the absolute minimum the bbl would need to stick out of the hand guard would be 5/8", but one should probably make it a touch more to account for manufacturing variances in the length of the bbl and hand guard and how tight the rear of the hand guard to your upper receiver is.
d16man's pic above gives a nice illustration of a hand guard large enough for the rear end of his muzzle device to be just inside the hand guard, yet his hand guard doesn't look real bulky to me.