TNT CANNON
A cannon that uses TNT charges to launch a TNT projectile over long distances. Water prevents the charge TNT from destroying the cannon. Timing is critical, the projectile must ignite after the charge.
Materials List
Overview: what the TNT Cannon is and does
A cannon that uses TNT charges to launch a TNT projectile over long distances. Water prevents the charge TNT from destroying the cannon. Timing is critical, the projectile must ignite after the charge.
As a weapon or defence build it delivers damage on demand, whether launching explosives or laying down automatic fire. It sits at an intermediate level: nothing exotic, but the timing between parts has to be right for it to work smoothly.
It fits in roughly 3W x 8L x 3H and works in Minecraft 1.0+ through to the current 1.21 release.
How it works: the redstone mechanics
A line of charge TNT detonates in a water trough — the water cancels the block damage but not the push — and that blast launches a separately-timed projectile TNT out of the barrel. Repeater delays fire the projectile a few ticks after the charges so it is already primed and moving when the blast hits it.
The core parts doing the work are TNT, dispenser, redstone Dust, redstone Repeater, and water Bucket; the remaining materials are structure and wiring that hold those pieces in the right relationship.
Because it fires on a redstone signal, the timing between charge and payload (or the clock rate) is what separates a working weapon from one that destroys itself.
How to build it
- 1Build a channel: 1 wide, 1 deep, 4-8 blocks long.
- 2Place water at the back of the channel (protects the cannon from charge explosions).
- 3Place dispensers along the sides of the channel, loaded with TNT (these are charges).
- 4At the front of the channel, place one dispenser facing up or forward (this is the projectile).
- 5Wire the charge dispensers to fire first (all simultaneously).
- 6Wire the projectile dispenser to fire 2-4 ticks AFTER the charges (use repeater delays).
- 7The charges explode in water (no damage), launching the projectile TNT forward.
- 8Press the button to fire. Adjust delays and charge count for range.
Uses & applications
- ▸As a weapon or defence build it delivers damage on demand, whether launching explosives or laying down automatic fire.
- ▸Built from 10× TNT, 4× dispenser, 16× redstone Dust, and 6× redstone Repeater and more, it slots into a survival base as a intermediate-level project.
- ▸Mount it on a base perimeter and trigger it from tripwires for automatic defence.
- ▸Tune the timing or fire rate to match your target range before relying on it.
Tips & common mistakes
- !Get the charge-versus-projectile timing wrong and the cannon destroys itself; the water back wall is essential to protect the firing mechanism.
- !Test the full cycle in a creative-mode copy first, then rebuild it in survival once you know the timing holds.
TNT Cannon FAQ
How do you build a TNT Cannon in Minecraft?
Build a channel: 1 wide, 1 deep, 4-8 blocks long. Place water at the back of the channel (protects the cannon from charge explosions). The full build takes 7 material types and fits in about 3W x 8L x 3H.
What materials does a TNT Cannon need?
The main materials are 10× TNT, 4× dispenser, 16× redstone Dust, and 6× redstone Repeater, plus the remaining structural and wiring blocks.
How hard is the TNT Cannon to build?
It sits at an intermediate level: nothing exotic, but the timing between parts has to be right for it to work smoothly. It is compatible with Minecraft 1.0+ and later.
How does the TNT Cannon actually work?
A line of charge TNT detonates in a water trough — the water cancels the block damage but not the push — and that blast launches a separately-timed projectile TNT out of the barrel. Repeater delays fire the projectile a few ticks after the charges so it is already primed and moving when the blast hits it.
Why does a TNT cannon use water?
The water absorbs the block-breaking part of the charge explosions so the cannon's own structure survives, while still letting the blast's knockback launch the projectile TNT. Without the water trough the charges would blow the cannon apart on the first shot.