Four model chains, namely, the freely jointed chain (1), the freely rotating chain (2), the Porod-Kratky wormlike chain (3), and the model with independent bond rotations hindered by a symmetrical potential (4), are compared with a realistic isomeric-state representation (5) of the polymethylene chain through calculations of various properties of their distributions. Parameters used for Models 1-4 were adjusted to secure agreement with 5 at the infinite chain limit. Properties treated are the mean-square end-to-end distance, its temperature derivative, the mean-square radius of gyration, and higher even moments of the end-to-end distance. Convergences to asymptotic ratios with chain length are examined. None of the simpler models 1-4 adequately represents these properties of the realistic chain 5 at all chain lengths. The success of anyone of the models 1-4 in accounting for the dependence of a given property on chain length varies considerably from one property to another.