Montgomery and Chandrasekhar and Hulm suggested models for predicting Im and Hm of high-field superconducting solenoids. Montgomery's model for predicting the degradation effect of superconducting solenoids leads to a unique coil quenching characteristics if geometrically similar solenoids are considered. Experiments do not verify these predicted results. Chandrasekhar and Hulm's model leads to one unique coil quenching characteristic for all solenoids with identical wire type and turn distance; coils with identical load factor should display identical values im and Hm. An analysis of the surface currents in an ideal superconducting infinitely long solenoid demonstrated possible forms of shielding currents. Experiments with Pb coils with and without NbZr and compensation agree with results expected from this analysis, but contradict Chandrasekhar and Hulm's model. Measurements of individual turn resistances show behavior of a soft superconductor solenoid in the intermediate state.