Oh yeah, I remember reading that too, and I bet you're right it is the "alternate ending". I think he tries to get it from her, and it drops or something. Sounded a rubbish scene, hence it was dropped.
There was a bit of fuss before the film's release about a bigger chase scene with the pistol between David Warner and Leo (the scene cost $1m and was cut, apparently), so that might be fun to see - and see why it was cut! Then there's the stuff filmed on The Californian, the nearby ship that sent ice warnings. Me wanna see...