Had the burglar entered my apartment, he'd be dead by now as I have the right to defend myself.
Mebbe so, Kokopuffs. And mebbe not, as both the precise circumstances and your local regs, determine that.
Most people, when self- or home-defense comes up, think "handgun." But a handgun is, in most cases, the worst choice for home defense.
The problem is, most people who buy a handgun do not take the time to become proficient with it. The think a gun, alone, is a deterrent. Not so. If you have not trained yourself to the point where it's use is automatic, then you may as well not have one.
More to the point, in a high-stress situation, the first thing you lose is your small motor control. The one thing you don't need to be doing is fumbling around with a safety. So on that level, a wheel gun actually makes more sense than an auto.
Finally, most people aren't looking to shoot anyone. If there's an intruder in the house they just want 'em gone. Once you start waving a large-bore handgun around you mostly don't have a choice. Most bottom feeders are well aware that even though you have a gun, you're probably not prepared---mentally or physically---to shoot. So the pistol, alone, does not serve as a deterrent.
For home defense, the best choice is a cheap pump shotgun (get one at the pawn shop, rather than the gun store). Cut the barrel down even with the magazine tube. Then put it under the bed in a combat-safe position.
The security system you've just created is, btw, illegal. So don't go using that shotgun to hunt quail.
Come circumstances like yours, you grab the piece and jack the round home. I guarantee even if it's the middle of the night, and a bottom feeder is where he doesn't belong, and even if he's never been near a shotgun before in his life, he will know what that sound is. And he's gone! And if not, a shotgun is such an intimidating weapon that the choice of shooting or not is yours to make.
Why is it so intimidating? Because, in a low-life's mind, there is a particular kind of reasoning. He knows, with a handgun, that you are not likely to squeeze the trigger, and that if you do, you'll more than likely miss. But like most people, he also believes, erroneously, that you can't miss with a shotgun at those ranges. So whatever he's doing, he'll stop and say sir.
Cautionary Warning! Anyone who chooses a firearm for self- or home-defense had better familiarize themselves with the legal concept called "in gravest extreme." That's what determines when lethal force is, or is not, justified. And do not depend on the cops or local police chief to fill you in on this. Most of them do not understand it, and will give you bad advice. Find somebody who truly understands it---a criminal lawyer, or home-defense consultant.