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The OAL given in manuals generally has nuttin' to do with SAAMI specs, but is just the OAL of the tested ammo.
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We likely agree with why many things are listed in published manuals (primer, barrel length, ambient temperature) and the COAL fits right in there. They
list it because it's relevant, not because it must be replicated to the exact.
However, it does make sense to point out that when published load data in a manual lists the COAL of the particular load they publish, part of what they're showing you is that you can expect the pressure will be within SAAMI limits as long as you don't build it to a shorter COAL than they listed. They don't point this out specifically and well-seasoned and learned handloaders know this, but it's still worth sharing to newer folks in an open forum.
To put this another way...
If you find a MAX load published somewhere that appears "warmer" than all other places you've looked... and you build that load to their specs
EXCEPT you shove that bullet deeper in to the case than the COAL they listed... and especially if you do this in a high-pressure and small-capacity cartridge case (9mm, .40 S&W), you could have yourself a bad day.
Generally speaking, when loading semi-auto pistol rounds, keeping a close eye on your COAL and keeping very good notes is very, very important, in my experience.