I cannot say if this applies to you, but I recently had a bout with the valve in the gas plug (some call it a screw). It was dirty enough to be stuck. I think it was stuck slightly open, causing a gas leak and some functioning problems.
That having been said, where the brass falls is less important to me than accuracy and reliability. If it shoots well every time, I am happy, especially considering it is a 50+ year old rifle.
Lee