I have a S&W 1854, lever action rifle in .44 mag on the way to me.

Looking for a red or green dot scope for it.

Use range is 200 yards or less, so really no need for either a LPVO, or a red dot / magnifier combo.  Plus I think larger scopes, even LPVO ones, look goofy on a lever action.

Couple of questions:

Should I look for a "rifle" version, sized like a Sig Romeo 5, of which I have 3 of and they've worked well for me.  Or more of a "pistol" sized version, like the Holsun HE507C-GR, which I have on my FN 510 and like that too?  Are there any advantages to the rifle sized versions compared to the pistol ones?  I'm leaning towards a pistol version, as I'd think it does everything the rifle version do, maybe at a higher cost as things have to be designed to be really small?

Green or red dot?  I know on lasers the greens are far brighter than reds, and reds are sort of obsolete now.  But on "red dot" sights, are the green ones any better or brighter?  You don't generally have issues seeing the dot on a scope as you're not trying to project a laser beam like on a laser.  So what are the advantages of a green sight?  I got the green Holsun via a sale here, and while it's really nice, I can't say it does anything a red one doesn't do.

What brands to look at?  The Sig Romeo's have worked fine for me, I know they're not super well thought of as being bulletproof, but who's actually had problems with them?  Holsun - their HE507C is nice, and was reasonably priced.  They seem to make a dozen different version that all look about the same at first glance, so any model numbers to focus on?

Or bump up in price (maybe nothing other than that?) and go Trijicon?  I've used their dual illumination amber dot on my FN FNP Tac for 12 years or so, and it's been fine too.  I'd go with a battery version now, but is there a reason to spend about 200 bucks more with them than Holsun?  

Thanks,

Sig Romeo 5
Holosun 407 (don’t need the circle of the 507)
You could go with a Vortex dot for the warranty but it doesn’t have shake awake so has to be turned on.

Closed emmiter systems are the hot new deal with glass front and back Aimpoint ACRO, Holosun EPS Carry, Trijicon  RCR probably worth the high price.

Yeah I suppose the closed emitters of the "rifle" sized red dot's have some value - always though that a wipeout in the mud or such would be the end for then of use of an open emitter.  

Don't forget the PA micro prisms in 1x or 3x.  Either power would work great on your rig.  I consider them to be in between an RDS and LPVO, kinda, but they're really compact, like a typical RDS.  The adjustable ocular works great with my old eyes and astigmatism, which you won't get with an RDS.  I'm well beyond the point of any precision with an RDS, and have become a really big fan of the PA prisms. They're game changers, IMHO.  They pop up regularly on the exchange, too, so the cost of experimentation can be low.  Just a thought.  Good luck with your search!