A number of alternative solution schemes for problems of dynamic structural analysis involving large displacements and plastic deformations are compared. The equations of motion, derived from the finite element approximation, are integrated directly using a number of well-known time integration operators; namely, the Houbolt, Newmark, Wilson, and central difference operators. This latter operator serves as a basis for a comparison of accuracy and economy with all methods. Numerical results for nonlinear systems are used to indicate the true worth of integration operators whose properties have been determined theoretically by studying their behavior with linear systems only.