A tubular, hand held desoldering tool carrying internally a spring loaded piston assembly and having a removable nozzle element at its forward end. The piston has a finger engaging cocking portion which is exposed outwardly where a portion of the rear of the tool is, in effect, cut away. The operation of the cocking portion causes axial motion of the piston for cocking and flyback. When in the cocked position, a trigger member carried by the piston assembly engages a latch element on the tubular body which holds the piston in its forward position. Activating the trigger releases the piston for its flyback stroke; however the piston assembly may be moved forwardly, while the trigger and latch are engaged, to eject the nozzle element from the body for cleaning or replacement. A rod member carried by the piston assembly extends forwardly through the nozzle element to clean its bore with each cocking cycle.