To anneal or not to anneal?

[geobru]

Recently I bought some virgin 45 basic brass that was sized and trimmed to 40-82 WCF. This brass was in a guys shop for the last 20 years or so, just sitting there. My question is very simple.... Should I anneal this brass before I use it? I know that used brass needs to be annealed periodically, but does the brass harden through age without being worked?

[olyinaz]

I've always heard that brass actually softens/stress relieves over time vs. getting harder or brittle, but that was more in the context of musical instruments. Hopefully someone will know more...

[TedH]

I believe it gets harder from being "worked" in the process of expanding during firing and contracting during resizing. I wouldn't anneal them at this point.

[bdhold]

brass only hardens by work-hardening, but new brass cases won't need annealing.

[AJMD429]

However.... it looks like some of the factories anneal brass before factory-loading it - I've seen lots of 308 and 223 and the $6.00-apiece 338 Lapua's I have managed to get hold of, with the color changes like they've been annealed.

Yet not yet have I bought any 'new brass' that looked that way.

What gives...???

[Chuck 100 yd]

All new brass has been or was annealed during manufacture and has or did have those colors you talk of.
Lapua just don`t shine it up after it`s made. Other vendors polish their brass just to make it look better
Lapua makes the very best brass available IMHO.

[M. M. Wright]

I anneal my new Starline 45-90 brass because it gives better accuracy. More consistent bullet pull. Now this is only with black powder. Picked up this bit of wisdom from Ventorino's "Shooting Bufallo Rifles". Don't remember if he said it or it came from one of the World Champions he asked to write about their experiences with BPCRS. Probably needs to be done periodically. (My thought)

[TedH]

I anneal my new Starline 45-90 brass because it gives better accuracy. More consistent bullet pull. Now this is only with black powder. Picked up this bit of wisdom from Ventorino's "Shooting Bufallo Rifles". Don't remember if he said it or it came from one of the World Champions he asked to write about their experiences with BPCRS. Probably needs to be done periodically. (My thought)

Care to share your method? I did some 45-70 brass for my Sharps that has been loaded several times. Not sure if I did it any good, or harm.