This^
I'm kinda in the same boat as you, in WA I mean. I have an SDN6 and it's a damn quiet rifle suppressor, especially with blackouts and I'd be okay with the qualities of it, it's just their QD mounts suck ass (51T anyway) and their CS is even worse. If you got thread ons, you'll be fine I'd reckon. If you got the QD, just don't expect much from the mounts --they vary. I have five or six mounts and each one locks up different, but it is nice to be able to use it on multiple rifles and there is an easy fix to get 'em to lock up tight, just not fun and not something you should have to do. The can was quieter than two different makers' new .45 and 9mm cans compared to me firing supers that I saw at the range one day; my buddy corroborated that and it actually surprised us both. So they make good cans soundwise and the materials are top notch too. If they could just unfuck the mounts... And I don't think the 90T is the answer either, they need to totally rethink QD mounts altogether if you ask me.
.300BLK shorty's... What WE need to do is get the same legislation passed for SBR/SBS that we did over the suppressors. WA state government works pretty well compared to a lot of other states I've lived in, and there's a lot of shooters up here. I could actually see it happening if folks got animated about it.
Liberty had a semi-integral .300BLK. I think they called it the Leonidas? I forget. The can goes under the rail, but it isn't one of those extra long rails with a short barrel. Instead, it's a short barrel with the can's tube perm. attached. They'll do custom work, but the tube/rail you choose has to be of a certain ID so the can will fit. And the can can be taken apart for cleaning I think, the guts anyway (the can's tube is fixed to the barrel keeping it 16"+, while allowing cleaning) though that would mostly be for cleaning the barrel and crown I suspect. That'll be your biggest concern, getting cleaning crap out of the can when cleaning the barrel and getting the barrel and muzzle clean --that's the only reason I can see wanting to take apart a rifle can. And I'm pretty sure accuracy will suffer if you have an unsealed rifle can.
What I did instead of going that route was to go to Rainier and just get a 14.5" LMT upper and have an AAC QD mount blind pinned --I wanted a 14.5 like my old issue rifle anyway, so I'd have done it suppressed or not. They employ a Boeing machinist that does spectacular work, nearly invisible. Has an eye for detail. Along with the SDN6, it's only a couple inches longer than the issue cans we had in the army, but much, much quieter. I wouldn't perm. attach one on a nice barrel though, and you'll be limited on what handguards you can use and if you FF it, some won't come off at all and whatever gas block you choose is permanent as well. So there are trade offs going this route.
They also make or made one similar to the SDN6 that has mounts that are longer that slide over the barrel a couple inches and the can is or like a reflex can and so it takes a couple inches off that way. Not sure how much it helps lengthwise. A couple of other places make reflex cans that'll only add a few inches to the weapon as nearly the entire expansion chamber is around the barrel and just a few inches of baffles in front of it.
As for cleaning a centerfire suppressor, you shouldn't have to do much. AAC recommends to clean 'em by soaking in Hoppes, acetone or thinner overnight, then hosing out and maybe even running through the dishwasher. Never put oil in 'em or fire 'em wet (over pressure). They're made entirely of inconel and 304(?) stainless, some of the best steels, so it ain't gonna rust ever. They're circumferentially welded too, nothing moves. The main parts that need cleaning are the QD mounts and then just the threads inside the can itself. The baffles and such, they'll be fine. It's the non-jacketed bullets like .22lr that are nasty, I wouldn't get a rimfire that wasn't take apart personally and have a thread on here about just that. Opposite with centerfire, I don't want one that comes apart. AAC recommends you only fire good jacketed bullets that are stabilized properly, no lead, soft points, thin jackets and some hollowpoints. They prefer FMJ, but most blackout ammo is OTM. The .30cal AAC cans, SDN6 for sure, work great from 5.56 to 6.5G, and with supers, they all sound about the same (never shot 7.62 through it yet).
But I know where you're coming from, that .300BLK was just MADE to be a shorty, wasn't it? I never really wanted an SBR until I got my blackout. I ended up getting the 16" AAC upper for a really good deal and it's a damn nice upper, uses KAC's newer FF rails and is pretty light and accurate too.
My dealer, I think he keeps 25% of the cost plus the ATF gets the $200 unless you fail completely. You're better off just getting it and selling it if you don't like it. Hell, I MIGHT buy one of them despite my boycott of AAC over their mounts and CS IF it's thread on and I can use it, just let me know what you have and we might be able to work something out if you can't get your answers to satisfaction on here.
Oh, and Rolling Thunder and Delta 4-3 on here both have lots of good info and have shot about all of them, so you'd do well to pick their brains as they've both had lots of experience with suppressors it seems, and they've really been good at helping me figure out what to do regarding .22 suppression.
But bottom line, until we get SBR's here, blind pinning mounts on 14.5's to 16", reflex cans, long handguards or fixed/welded tubes are about it. I suppose like Rolling Thunder said, a bullpup like an AUG or FS2000 might be an idea, but a costly one.
What'd you get? If it's the 51T 5.56 I may take it just because I have those two pinned mounts, and I may be interested in their thread on 5.56 shorty that can be permanently attached, or if it's a .30 thread on in 9/16. If you wanna get rid of 'em, PM me though because I won't be watching this thread. Good luck.
