Surgical forceps with a shaft at the distal end of which a jaws piece including jaws is removably mounted. The jaws piece is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the distal end of an actuating rod running parallel to the shaft. The proximal end of the actuating rod can be coupled in a rotationally fixed and longitudinally displaceable manner to a handle arranged on the proximal end of the shaft for transferring movements executed in the longitudinal direction of the shaft. The surgical forceps are characterized in that the handle is designed in such a manner that the rotationally fixed coupling to the actuating rod disengages when the handle is actuated to open the jaws piece.