A few year back I wanted a lever action .35 Whelen so I looked into my options. I consulted with Cliff Labounty who at the time had recently pioneered a process to rebore DR's.
My choices cam down to a modern Browning or Winchester 1895, made in Japan by Miroku, or a Browning BLR, also made by Miroku.
I went with the BLR simply because one was available to me at the time. Cliff rebored it and I still have the gun, it shoots wonderfully.
Here is some more info on the 1895 and it's limitations...
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/model_1895.htm 
