Abstract: The A hand-held power tool includes a tool holder 2 for holding a tool and a pneumatic striking mechanism for periodically generating impacts on the tool held in the tool holder. The striking mechanism includes a guiding tube, an exciter piston, a striker, a pneumatic chamber closed by the exciter piston and the striker in the guiding tube, and a compensating opening in the guiding tube for ventilating the pneumatic chamber. A cap covers the compensating opening on an outside of the guiding tube. The cap is open in an opening direction which is largely tangential to the guiding tube.