I got this rifle from the classifieds just about a year ago. And I ordered the XS sights probably 10 months ago, but just got around to working with them today.

FWIW the factory irons were ok and the little carbine seemed just fine with them but I didn't much care for the sight picture.

First thing after lunch I drove the front dovetail factory sight out, and pulled the rear scope mount filler screws. Put the receiver sight in place and snugged it down, and then pushed what XS calls a "trial sight" into the front dovetail.
XS sends a machined front sight, but suggests starting with the plastic trial sight to determine best front sight height. The trial sight is segmented and could easily be nipped shorter with side cutters to shorten it. As long as the permanent sight they send is unused/unmarred they will make whatever height sight you need and exchange it if you want to.

With the approx. 3/4" tall (bottom of dove tail to top of sight) trial sight in place I took a shot at a plastic bucket with a half dollar size marker dot on the side. This was offhand at about 25 yards, and I was close enough to dead on that I'd be happy. Except that this trial sight looks to be ridiculously tall.
The permanent sight they sent is approximately 3/16" shorter and would be OK but I wouldn't care to have any taller front sight.

Is there enough adjustment in the rear to use the shorter permanent front sight?

Best way to find out is screw the rear all the way down and take another shot.

Good advice.

I bottomed the rear sight which took 3 full turns. Lowered the rear sight maybe 1/8" which dropped my POI maybe 1-1.5". Then clipped 2 segments off the trial sight which took POI up 3" or about 1.5" above POA

Seems that if I had only clipped one segment from the trial sight elevation might have been good, but the sight would still have been much too tall. Ideally the trial sight needs a couple more segments clipped to;
A) Look right
And
B) Not be so long as to be fragile

Talked to Gary at XS sights this week and he told me that if the little carbine shot best at the highest front sight height then that was the only option for me with their stuff.

With regrets, I uninstalled the XS stuff and re-installed the factory front dovetail. Was concerned that the factory front may be loose after being driven out and back in but it seems solid.

I don't think you have to worry about fragility of even the tallest XS front sight compared to the shorter factory bead, they're quite a bit heavier. However there's no way around using a taller front sight with the rather high XS peep. You'd have to use a low profile rear like the Ranger Point or Skinner LO-Pro to stay with factory height front.

I have the XS Ghost ring on my 1895 and 1894s and love 'em!

Nebraska

How tall is the XS front on your 1894?

Just saw this....haven't measured but its the factory sight (guessing 1/2") from XS and I didn't to shave it

Skinner sights. Bear buster front sight