How to Make Dispenser Shoot Continuously

This article is about the block that can fire arrows and other items. For the block that would drop arrows and others as an item, see Dropper.

A dispenser is a solid block used as a redstone component to dispense items.

Obtaining [ ]

Dispensers can be mined using a pickaxe, in which case it drops itself and its contents. If mined without a pickaxe, the dispenser drops only its contents.

Block	Dispenser
Hardness	3.5
Tool
Breaking time[A]
Default	17.5
Wooden	2.65
Stone	1.35
Iron	0.9
Diamond	0.7
Netherite	0.6
Golden	0.45

1. ↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Crafting [ ]

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Cobblestone + Bow + Redstone Dust		Enchantments on the bow do not affect the resulting dispenser.

Natural generation [ ]

Two dispensers are naturally generated in every jungle temple.

Usage [ ]

A dispenser can be used as a container and as a redstone component that dispenses items when activated, with results varying based on the item dispensed. For example, the trap in a jungle pyramid incorporates arrows inside a dispenser, which shoots the arrows when activated.

To place a dispenser, use it while pointing at a surface adjacent to the space it should occupy. A dispenser can be placed so that its output faces in any direction, including up or down. When placed, a dispenser faces the location of the player placing it.

A dispenser cannot be moved by pistons.‌^{[ Java Edition only ]}

Container [ ]

The GUI of the dispenser.

A dispenser has 9 slots of inventory space.

To open the dispenser GUI, use the Use Item control. To move items between the dispenser inventory and the player inventory or hotbar while the dispenser GUI is open, drag or shift-click the items. To exit the dispenser GUI, use the Esc control.

By default, the GUI of a dispenser is labeled "Dispenser". A dispenser's GUI label can be changed by naming the dispenser in an anvil before placing it, or by using the data command‌^{[ Java Edition only ]}. For example, to label a dispenser at (0,64,0) "My Dispenser", use data merge block 0 64 0 {CustomName:'"My Dispenser"'}.

A dispenser can be "locked" by setting the dispenser's Lock tag. If a dispenser's Lock tag is not blank, the dispenser cannot be accessed except by players holding an item with the same name as the Lock tag's text. A dispenser's Lock tag can be set or unset with the data command. For example, to lock a dispenser at (0,64,0) so that only players holding an item named "My Key" can access the dispenser, use data merge block 0 64 0 {Lock:"My Key"}.

Redstone component [ ]

A dispenser can be used to dispense its contents randomly.

Activation

A dispenser is a redstone mechanism and can be activated by:

• an adjacent active power component: for example, a redstone torch (except that a redstone torch does not activate a dispenser it is attached to), a block of redstone, a daylight sensor, etc.
• an adjacent powered opaque block (for example, a block with an active redstone torch under it)
• a powered redstone repeater or redstone comparator facing the dispenser
• powered redstone dust configured to point at the dispenser, or on top of it, or a directionless "cross" next to it; a dispenser is not activated by adjacent powered redstone dust that is configured to point in another direction.

Some of these methods can activate a dispenser (in the sense of triggering an action) without powering the dispenser (in the sense of whether the dispenser can power adjacent redstone dust, etc.).

In addition to the methods above, a dispenser can also be activated by quasi-connectivity.‌^{[ Java Edition only ]} A dispenser becomes activated if one of the methods above would activate a mechanism component in the block above the dispenser, even if there is no mechanism component there (even if the block above the dispenser is air or a transparent block), but only when the dispenser receives a block update (including a redstone update within two blocks of the dispenser). A dispenser does not activate if it has been less than 1 redstone tick (2 game ticks, or 0.1 seconds barring lag) since its last activation ended.

Behavior

When activated, a dispenser waits for 2 redstone ticks (4 game ticks, or 0.2 seconds barring lag) and then ejects one item. The dispenser does not continue to eject items while activated; ejection occurs only on the initial activation (the rising edge of an input signal). To eject multiple items, repeatedly activate the dispenser with a clock circuit. If the clock runs at faster than 5 Hz (more than 5 redstone pulses a second), the dispenser fires once and then locks in the "on" position.

If multiple slots are occupied by items, a random occupied slot is chosen for ejection. The slot is chosen when an item is ejected, not when the dispenser is initially activated; thus it is possible to move items into or out of a dispenser between its activation and item dispensing.

The effects of being activated vary with the type of ejected item. Most items are thrown in the direction the dispenser is facing as if a player had used the Drop Item control. (Unlike a dropper, a dispenser can't feed another container.) Other items behave differently when dispensed, as described in the table below. In general, a dispenser cannot place blocks into the world; the exceptions are shulker boxes, powder snow,‌^{[ Java Edition only ]} and certain cases where the placed block would do something unusual. There are also a couple of special cases where an empty bottle or bucket can collect liquids from the world. When dispensing an item that has durability would cause the item to be used, such as with flint and steel and shears, the item's durability decreases.

Dispenser Behavior
Item	Effect
Armor Elytra	Equips on a player, armor stand, skeleton, wither skeleton, stray, zombie, husk, pillager, drowned, vindicator, villager, piglin or zombified piglin within the block the dispenser is facing with empty appropriate armor slot (any armor, made from any material).
Armor Stand	Placed as an entity in the block the dispenser is facing.‌[ Java Edition only ] [1]
Arrow Spectral Arrow Tipped Arrow	Fired in the direction the dispenser is facing.
Boat	Placed as an entity (i.e., a right-clickable vehicle) in the block the dispenser is facing, if the dispenser is facing the water or an empty block above water — otherwise dropped, which is unintentional.[2]
Bone Meal	Uses bone meal (as fertilizer) on the block the dispenser is facing, if possible. If the block faced does not react to bonemeal, no bone meal is used.
Bottle o' Enchanting Egg Snowball Splash Potion Lingering Potion	Thrown in the direction the dispenser is facing as if the player had right-clicked the item in their inventory. Splash potions and lingering potions are fired farther.
Bucket	Collects lava or water source block the dispenser is facing, adding the newly filled bucket to an empty slot in the dispenser's inventory. If there isn't room in the dispenser for the newly-filled bucket (i.e. the empty bucket was part of a stack and all other slots in the dispenser are also full), drops the filled bucket. If no source block is in front of the dispenser, drops an empty bucket, which is unintentional.[2]
Fire Charge	Launches fireball (as if produced by a blaze) in the direction the dispenser is facing. When a dispensed fireball hits a mob (including a player) or a block, the mob or block is set on fire. When a dispensed fireball hits a boat or minecart, the vehicle is destroyed and drops itself as an item.
Firework Rocket	Launches in the direction the dispenser is facing. It can be used to inflict damage if it was crafted with stars.
Flint and Steel	If the dispenser is facing an air block and having an available block below this air block, places fire in the air block. If the dispenser is facing TNT, it ignites the TNT, if facing to a obsidian frame, it ignites the Nether portal. If the dispenser is facing an extinguished campfire, the campfire is ignited. Otherwise, does nothing.
Lava Bucket Water Bucket Bucket of Cod Bucket of Salmon Bucket of Tropical Fish Bucket of Pufferfish Bucket of Axolotl Powder Snow Bucket Bucket of Tadpole	Places lava or water in the block the dispenser is facing (replacing the lava or water bucket in the dispenser with an empty bucket) if the block the dispenser is facing is one that the player could use lava or water buckets on (e.g., air, flowers, grass, etc. — doesn't work with a cauldron) — otherwise dropped - not an intentional feature.[2] Water dispensed in The Nether disappears instantly, leaving only the empty bucket in the dispenser. If the bucket contains an axolotl or fish, the mob is spawned along with the block of water. A dispenser can place or remove powder snow in the block in front of where the dispenser is facing.‌[ Java Edition only ]
Minecart Minecart with Chest Minecart with Command Block Minecart with Furnace Minecart with Hopper Minecart with TNT	Placed as an entity (i.e., a right-clickable vehicle) in the block the dispenser is facing, if the dispenser is facing a type of rails — otherwise dropped - not intentional.[2]
Heads Carved Pumpkin	If placement completes the construction of an iron golem, snow golem, or wither, the entity is created as if constructed by a player. Equips on a player, mob or armor stand with an empty helmet slot, within the block the dispenser is facing. Otherwise, does nothing.
Shulker Box	Placed as a block.
Spawn Egg	Summons a mob in front of the dispenser.
TNT	Places and ignites TNT in the block the dispenser is facing, with a small velocity in a random direction.
Trident	Thrown in the direction the dispenser is facing.‌[ Bedrock Edition only ]‌[ upcoming: JE Combat Tests]
Shears	Shear any sheep, snow golem ‌[ Java Edition only ] [3], or mooshroom‌[ Java Edition only ] [4] that is in the block in front of it. Harvests honeycombs from a full beehive or nest.
Glass Bottle	Fills bottle with water if the dispenser is facing a water source block. Fills the bottle with honey if the dispenser is facing a full beehive or bee nest. If cannot be used, the item is dropped, which is both intentional[5] and not intentional.[2]
Horse Armor	Place horse armor on any tamed horse that is in the block in front of it.‌[ Java Edition only ] [6]
Saddle	Place a saddle on any pig, tamed horse, donkey, mule or strider that is in the block in front of it.‌[ Java Edition only ] [7]
Carpet	Place a carpet on any tamed llama that is in the block in front of it.‌[ Java Edition only ] [8]
Chest	Place a chest on any tamed llama, donkey, or mule that is in the block in front of it.‌[ Java Edition only ] [9]
Glowstone	Charges any empty or partially filled respawn anchor. If facing a full respawn anchor, it does nothing.
Honeycomb	Wax any copper block that is in the block in front of it.
Water Bottle	Turns dirt, coarse dirt, and rooted dirt into mud.
Others	Dropped: Ejected toward the block the dispenser is facing as if a player had used the Drop Item control.

When a dispenser dispenses an item, it emits a clicking sound (unless the item is a projectile or a spawn egg) and a smoke particle. If it is empty when activated, it emits a slightly higher-pitched click. The noise of a dispenser can be heard up to 16 blocks away.

A dispenser is a full solid opaque block, so powering it directly can cause adjacent mechanism components (including other dispensers) to activate as well.

Sounds [ ]

Generic [ ]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.stone.break	subtitles.block.generic.break	1.0	0.8	16
	None [sound 1]	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.stone.fall	None [sound 1]	0.5	0.75	16
	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.stone.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit	0.25	0.5	16
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.stone.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	1.0	0.8	16
	Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.stone.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	0.15	1.0	16

1. ↑ ^{a b} MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.stone	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.stone	0.4	1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.stone	0.37	0.5
	Players	Jumping from the block	jump.stone	0.12	1.0
	Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	land.stone	0.22	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	step.stone	0.3	1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.stone	1.0	0.8-1.0

Unique [ ]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Dispensed item	Blocks	When a dispenser drops an item	block.dispenser.dispense	subtitles.block.dispenser.dispense	1.0	1.0	16
	Dispenser fails	Blocks	When a dispenser fails to activate	block.dispenser.fail	subtitles.block.dispenser.fail	1.0	1.2	16
	Dispensed item	Blocks	When a dispenser shoots	block.dispenser.launch	subtitles.block.dispenser.dispense	1.0	1.2	16
	Chest locked	Blocks	When a player attempts to open a dispenser locked using the  Lock tag	block.chest.locked	subtitles.block.chest.locked	1.0	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	When a dispenser drops or uses an item	block.click	1.0	1.0
	Blocks	When a dispenser fails to activate	block.click	1.0	1.2
	Players	When a dispenser shoots	random.bow	1.0	0.83-1.25

Data values [ ]

ID [ ]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Dispenser	dispenser	Block & Item	block.minecraft.dispenser

Name	Identifier
Block entity	dispenser

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID[i 1]	Translation key
Dispenser	dispenser	23	Block & Giveable Item[i 2]	Identical[i 3]	tile.dispenser.name

1. ↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
2. ↑ Available with /give command.
3. ↑ The block's direct item form has the same id with the block.

Name	Savegame ID
Block entity	Dispenser

Block states [ ]

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
facing	north	down east north south up west	The direction in which contents are shot or dropped. The opposite from the direction the player faces while placing the block.
triggered	false	false true	True if this block is activated.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
facing_direction	0x1 0x2 0x4	0	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7	The direction in which contents are shot or dropped. 0: facing down 1: facing up 2: facing north 3: facing south 4: facing west 5: facing east
triggered_bit	0x8	false	false true	0 1	True if this block is activated.

Block data [ ]

A dispenser has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block.

Java Edition:

• Block entity data
  •  CustomName: Optional. The name of this container in JSON text component, which appears in its GUI where the default name ordinarily appears.
  •  Items: List of items in this container.
    • : An item, including the slot tag. Dispenser slots are numbered 0-8 with 0 in the top left corner.
  •  Lock: Optional. When not blank, prevents the container from being opened unless the opener is holding an item whose name matches this string.
  •  LootTable: Optional. Loot table to be used to fill the dispenser when it is next opened, or the items are otherwise interacted with.^{[note 1]}
  •  LootTableSeed: Optional. Seed for generating the loot table. 0 or omitted causes a random seed to be used.^{[note 1]}

1. ↑ ^{a b} Both loot table tags are removed once the items have been generated.

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Block entity format.

Video [ ]

Achievements [ ]

Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS4)
PS4	Other
		Dispense with This	Construct a Dispenser.	—	20G	Bronze

History [ ]

Java Edition Beta
January 10, 2011[n 1]					Shown dispenser in development as part of Minecraft: The Story of Mojang.
					Currently dispenser dispense an items to fixed distance ~2 blocks away.
1.2					Added dispensers.
					The top and bottom textures of dispensers currently remain fixed regardless of the facing direction.
					Dispensers can currently only fire arrows, snowballs and eggs. All other items are thrown out as entities.
Java Edition
1.0.0		Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6			Dispensers now take less time to destroy, and the breaking time is now tier dependent.
1.2.1		12w03a			Dispensers can spawn mobs from a spawn egg.
		12w04a			The texture of dispensers has been changed.
					Dispensers can shoot fire charges.
1.3.1		12w15a			Dispensers can place boats and minecarts.
		12w21a			Dispensers can shoot the liquids inside water and lava buckets.
					Dispensers can now suck up liquids if activated again, filling up the buckets with the liquid dropped.
		12w22a			Dispensers can naturally generate within jungle temples and are filled with a random amount of arrows that shoot the player should they touch the tripwire connected to it or destroy it without shears.
January 18, 2013					Dinnerbone stated that dispensers are to have more features in the future, so players should stick to using droppers to dispense items.
1.5		13w04a			Dispensers can now face all 6 directions.
					Dispensers use many new items, including TNT, bone meal, flint and steel and armor.
		13w10b			Powered dispensers no longer fire if they receive a redstone update.
1.8		14w04a			Dispensers can be used to place pumpkins to activate iron golems and snow golems.
					Dispensers can place wither skeleton skulls to activate the wither.
		14w07a			Dispensers can place command blocks instead of shooting them out.
		14w10a			Upward-facing dispensers no longer have a model.
		14w10b			Upward-facing dispensers have a valid model again.[10]
		14w25a			The models of dispenser have been changed - the top and bottom faces for horizontal dispensers now rotate accordingly, and are rotated for downward-facing.
1.8.6					Dispensers no longer place command blocks, as it constituted a vulnerability.[11]
1.9		15w33a			Dispensers can shoot splash potions and lingering potions much farther than before.
		15w33c			Dispensers can shoot fire charges as ender dragon fireballs, instead of as blaze fireballs.
		15w39c			Dispensers can equip mob heads and pumpkins.
		15w44b			Dispensers can once again shoot fire charges as blaze fireballs.
1.9.1		pre1			Dispensers can use loot tables.
					Dispensers generated in jungle temples use loot tables.
1.10		16w21a			Dispensers can equip shields, like armor.
1.11		16w32a			The block entity ID for dispensers has been changed from Trap to dispenser.
		16w39a			Dispensers can place shulker boxes.
		16w39c			Dispensers can dispense boats facing the same way as the dispenser, instead of toward the dispenser.
1.13		17w47a			Crafting a dispenser no longer requires the bow to be at full durability.[12]
1.14		18w43a			The textures of the dispenser have been changed.
					Dispensers with shears in them now shear sheep with wool.
1.15		19w34a			Dispensers can harvest honeycombs when dispensing shears on bee nests and bee hives filled with honey.
					Dispensers can collect honey bottles when dispensing glass bottles on bee hives.
					Dispensers can collect water bottles when dispensing glass bottles on water.
		19w36a			Fireworks dispensed from a dispenser now travel in the direction fired.
		19w41a			Dispensers now eject empty bottles properly when not facing water.
		19w42a			Dispensers can place armor stands.
1.16		20w13a			Dispensers can charge respawn anchors.
		20w15a			Dispensers can saddle pigs, striders and tamed horses, donkeys and mules.
					Dispensers can put horse armor on horses.
					Dispensers can put carpets on llamas.
					Dispensers can put chests on llamas, donkeys, and mules.
					Dispensers can shear a Mooshroom.
					Dispensers can shear snow golems.
1.17		20w46a			Can place powder snow using a powder snow bucket. Also can remove it using a bucket.
		21w11a			Dispensers can dispense honeycomb onto copper blocks to wax them.
1.19		22w11a			Dispensers can turn dirt, coarse dirt, and rooted dirt into mud.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.14.0		build 1			Added dispensers.
		build 5			The inventory for dispensers is now more consistent with other inventories.
v0.15.0		build 1			Dispensers can be moved by pistons.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The textures of the dispenser have been changed.
					Dispensers with shears in them now shear sheep with wool.
1.13.0		?			Damaged bows can no longer be used to craft dispensers.
1.14.0		beta 1.14.0.1			Dispensers can harvest honeycombs when dispensing shears on bee nests and bee hives filled with honey.
					Dispensers can collect honey bottles when dispensing glass bottles on bee hives.
					Dispensers can collect water bottles when dispensing glass bottles on water.
1.16.0		beta 1.15.0.51			Crafting a dispenser no longer requires the bow to be at full durability.
Caves & Cliffs (experimental)		beta 1.16.210.57			Dispensers can wax copper blocks.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added dispensers.
TU3					The dispenser texture has been changed to the Java Edition 1.2.1 (12w04a) texture.
TU5					Added quick move to the dispenser.
TU9					Dispensers can spawn mobs from a spawn egg.
					Dispensers can shoot out the liquids inside water and lava buckets.
					Dispensers can suck up the liquids if activated again, but do not fill up the buckets with the liquid dropped due to a bug.
TU10					The bug where the liquid from dispensers did not properly fill empty buckets has been fixed.
TU19	CU7	1.12			Dispensers now face in any direction.
TU31	CU19	1.22	Patch 3		Dispensers can place pumpkins or wither skeleton skulls to spawn golems and withers providing the body is already built in a valid configuration.
PlayStation 4 Edition
1.90					The textures of the dispenser have been changed.
					Dispensers with shears in them now shear sheep with wool.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added dispensers.

• 

  Frame from first video of dispensers.

• 

  The first image released by Mojang showing the new vertical placement of Dispensers and Droppers. The Dispenser can be seen on the top.

Notes

1. ↑ Supposed time when fragment was filmed. Based on modified date of client.jar/gui/trap.png in Beta 1.2.

Data history [ ]

Java Edition
1.13		17w47a			Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 23.

Issues [ ]

Issues relating to "Dispenser" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia [ ]

• A dispenser was shown inside a minecart in one of the 1.5 teaser images, although this was never added to the game.
• Dispensers resemble a face when not facing up or down.

Gallery [ ]

• 

  Dispensers can be placed facing up and down, as well as the side orientation.

• 

  A distribution of arrows shot straight up by a dispenser.

See also [ ]

Some other blocks can also be used to move items:

• Droppers can throw items or push them into adjacent containers.
• Hoppers can push items into adjacent containers.
• Ice and packed ice have reduced friction to the item entity movement.
• Slime blocks can impart velocity to item entities when pushed by a piston.
• Water can push item entities.
• Quasi-connectivity Applies to Dispensers.

References [ ]

1. ↑ MCPE-80145
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} MC-114111
3. ↑ MCPE-80151
4. ↑ MCPE-80151
5. ↑ "Minecraft Snapshot 19w42a" – Minecraft.net
6. ↑ MCPE-80149
7. ↑ MCPE-80146
8. ↑ MCPE-80152
9. ↑ MCPE-80155
10. ↑ MC-50259
11. ↑ https://bugs.mojang.com/browse/MC-80671?focusedCommentId=228546&page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel#comment-228546
12. ↑ MC-122844 resolved as "Works As Intended"

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Source: https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Dispenser

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