In a surgical bone punch having a stationary shaft joined to a handgrip, a slide shaft mounted for longitudinal displacement on this stationary shaft, and a motorized drive in the handgrip for displacement of the slide shaft from a proximal inoperative position to a distal operative position with a preset forward displacement force, in order to control the effective forward displacement force of the slide shaft, it is proposed that the slide shaft carry a stop, which, during displacement of the slide shaft to the operative position, strikes an elastic spring element, which is supported on the stationary shaft, and, during displacement of the slide shaft, counteracts the forward displacement force of the drive.