Abstract: A variable capacity refrigerant compressor has a rotating drive shaft, a plurality of single headed pistons reciprocating in respective cylinder bores for sucking, compressing and discharging refrigerant gas, a rotor element mounted on the drive shaft to be rotated with the drive shaft, a swash plate element engaged with the rotor element via a hinge unit and with the pistons via shoes, the swash plate element rotating with the rotor element and reciprocating the pistons. The swash plate changes its angle of inclination to vary the discharge capacity of the compressor, and the maximum angular position of inclination of the swash plate element is limited by an inclination limiting unit formed by a first contacting area formed in the rotor element, and a second contacting area formed in the swash plate so as to come into contact with the first contact area when the swash plate element reaches the maximum angle position of inclination.