A retractor for safety belts having a winding shaft acted upon by a retracting spring, and journaled in a housing so as to be non-displaceable axially, a detent disk provided with detent elements distributed over its periphery and fixed to the winding shaft, and a counter-detent member anti-rotationally joined to the housing and having at least one counter-detent element. The detent disk is disposed fixedly in the axial direction on the winding shaft while the counter-detent disk is axially displaceable on the winding shaft between the detent disk and a housing wall and is secured against rotation by lugs extending from the housing wall approximately parallel to the winding shaft towards the detent disk and engaging notches in the counter-detent disk. A spring extends between the counter-detent disk and the housing wall. A pushbutton displaceable axially to the winding shaft serves as actuating member for the counter-detent disk and grips the same.