Explosive powder charge operated setting tool

An explosive powder charge operated setting tool comprises an axially extending tubular piston guide (2) having a front end and a rear end spaced apart in the axial direction and forming an axially extending guide bore (2a), a piston (1) mounted within said guide bore and displaceable therein between a rear starting position adjacent the rear end of said piston guide (2) and a front end position spaced axially from the rear starting position toward the front end of said piston guide (2), a cartridge carrier (4) located at the rear end of said piston guide (2) and forming a rear stop for said piston (1) in the rear starting position, a housing part (3) laterally enclosing said piston guide (2) with an axially extending channel (5) located between said housing part and piston guide, a first opening (6) connecting said guide bore (2a) and said channel (5) in an axially extending region of said rear starting position and a second opening (7) connecting said guide bore (2a) and said channel (5) in an axially extending region of said front end position, wherein the improvement comprises means for permitting displacement to a limited extent in the axial direction of the cartridge carrier (4) relative to one of said piston guide (2) and housing part (3).