When Johnny Leung spins the cylinder of the revolver, points it at Macleod and cocks it, the camera is angled so you can clearly see the chamber with the bullet lining up with the barrel in position to be fired. Despite this, when he pulls the trigger, the hammer drops on an empty chamber. It's shown that the bullet isn't a dud when Macleod successfully shoots the vase with it.
Jimmy and Duncan duel, supposedly with real, sharpened swords. But when Jimmy's blow is deflected into the window blinds, there is minimal damage; a real sword would have sliced right through the plastic blinds.