For starters any home defense weapon should be loaded and charged. You should not rack a round to alert the offender of your position. A well versed or military trained assailant may wait for you to pop out as most people will likely move through their home in the dark seeking out the noise.

I also think a shot gun would be best.

Recently here in Detroit a guy killed a neighbor attempting to kill a car jacker. This particular story I'm talking about was an extreme case of stupidity but still illustrates the problem.

Tom