Re: True story.
<I remember as a kid reading about two little old ladies living in a big house in a rural area. They would pop a paper bag when they heard noises, and it was always, according to this story, enough to scare off the burglars.
Almost all burglars rely on a place being deserted when they work it, and will be deterred or flee when they realize a place is occupied. The bag works for this, or simply having lights go on and off. A dog is also good. Our dog barks at EVERYTHING.
The gun is a last resort for the more psycho brand of housebreaker which seems to be becoming more common these days.