Abstract: An impulse motor for a hand held hammer machine comprises a housing (10) with a cylinder (11) therein, in which a reciprocating drive piston (40) via a gas cushion in a working chamber (44) of said cylinder (11) repeatedly drives a hammer piston (15) to impact on and to return from a tool (20) carried by the machine housing (10). The drive piston (40) has an axially protruding reduced diameter damping piston (50) thereon adapted to prevent piston encounter collision by arresting the return movement of said hammer piston (15) towards the drive piston (40) in a cooperating damping cylinder (51) provided on the hammer piston (15). The damping piston (50) has two diameterical steps (64,65) formed thereon, of which an outer step (64) is long and has a clearance relative to said damping cylinder (51) enabling during arresting a braking action therebetween by gas friction in said clearance.