Did the N2 experiment tell all?

That exercise focused on depriving the system of oxygen to settle the question of combustion.

What N2 also did was deprive the system of water vapor.

Even though the percentage of water vapor content of air is low , it's potential is high.

Air recieves its potential through compression and does work via expansion. Whereas steam recieves it's potential by heat.

So it is that heat energy which is absorbed by the steam,and plenty of it, which will maintain energy of the shot potential as a whole thru a greater time line. Isn't that what we look for in the airgun?

Until precise data can be shown as to the difference between a shot fired containing a volume of air which contains water vapor against one which is totally dry, the results N2 experiment, IMHO, does not tell all.