Talked with Kevin Thomas a little while ago. I send him a few pictures in an email and here is his reply:
In looking at these photos, I’m quite certain that the discolorations on these cases are the result of handling, fumes from chemicals stored nearby, or some other related cause. They’re not annealing marks, of that I’m certain. Our annealing process makes it virtually impossible for the cases to get annealed on both ends, and as you can see in the photos, the necks of the affected cases are clearly annealed. It’s often quite surprising what sort of things will cause discoloration in brass, and I’ve seen a wide variety of them over the years. Chemicals that give off fumes, even in very low concentrations, such as ammonia, acids, petroleum distillates and so on, can all cause this type of change. Not something to worry about, but I’ll be happy to send you some replacements just to set your mind at ease. For that, I just need a mailing address, and I can get them off to you before I leave for Phoenix.
I sent him contact info and he is sending me replacements. Great fellow and could not have asked for better service!
Thanks everyone for the advice and thanks Jim Pag for the contact info.
Tom Bieri