althor1138 said:

I'm sure it helps out in some situations but in this case it just adds layers of complication with no real benefit.

I agree. There are two options for doing capture averaging/median without artifacts or resolution loss:

1 Process the captures shot-by-shot (or even frame-by-frame)

2 Get an amazing image registration program to do the work for you

I think the best solution, for now, is to do one excellent capture and work on fixing drop-outs and speckles (that aren't on the source) manually.