An improved blade guard stop for a circular saw (10). The circular saw (10) includes a saw blade (38) driven by a motor for rotation about an axis (34), a blade guard (58) rotatable about the axis between a covered position, in which the saw blade is covered, and an uncovered position, in which the saw blade is exposed, a biasing member (62) biasing the blade guard (58) toward the covered position, and a flexible spring member (66) to absorb the rotational force of the blade guard and to absorb the biasing force of said biasing member. In the preferred embodiment, the spring member (66) is a leaf spring. Additionally, the circular saw includes an adjustable shoe plate (46) which changes the direction of impact of the blade guard on the spring member. The spring member absorbs the rotational force each adjusted direction. Also, the spring member and the blade guard are constructed of low friction materials so that movement of the blade guard against the spring member does not impede adjustment of the shoe plate of the circular saw.