A starter comprising: a housing having an engine mounting surface adapted to rest on an engine having a ring gear, and a nose portion extending from the engine mounting surface toward the engine and having an opening portion; a motor fixedly mounted on the housing and having an armature generating a rotational force and an armature shaft on which the armature is supported; an output shaft disposed in a coaxial relationship with the armature shaft and having axial ends one end of which is rotatably supported with the nose portion by means of a bearing at a position opposite to the motor; a pinion moving body having a pinion gear operative to mesh with the ring gear to transfer the rotational force to the ring gear and fitted on the output shaft at an outer periphery thereof in helical spline engagement; and an electromagnetic switch operative to form an electromagnet providing an attraction force to drive a shift lever for moving the pinion moving body toward the ring gear of the engine, characterized in that the pinion moving body comprises a pinion shielding member that is made of resin separately from the pinion gear and connected to the pinion gear, at one end axially placed in opposition to the ring gear, so as to be rotatable relative to the pinion gear; and wherein the pinion shielding member has an outer circumferential periphery, having an outer diameter greater than a diameter of an addendum circle of the pinion gear, and a bottomed cylindrical configuration formed with a hollow portion having one axial end facing the ring gear and opened and the other axial end directed in opposition to the ring gear and closed; wherein the pinion shielding member is integrally formed with a lever engaging portion held in engagement with the shift lever, a slight amount of clearance between an inner circumferential periphery of the nose portion of the housing and the outer circumferential periphery of the pinion shielding member is less than a clearance between the inner circumferential periphery of the nose portion of the housing and the addendum circle of the pinion gear. a housing having an engine mounting surface adapted to rest on an engine having a ring gear, and a nose portion extending from the engine mounting surface toward the engine and having an opening portion; a motor fixedly mounted on the housing and having an armature generating a rotational force and an armature shaft on which the armature is supported; an output shaft disposed in a coaxial relationship with the armature shaft and having axial ends one end of which is rotatably supported with the nose portion by means of a bearing at a position opposite to the motor; a pinion moving body having a pinion gear operative to mesh with the ring gear to transfer the rotational force to the ring gear and fitted on the output shaft at an outer periphery thereof in helical spline engagement; and an electromagnetic switch operative to form an electromagnet providing an attraction force to drive a shift lever for moving the pinion moving body toward the ring gear of the engine, characterized in that the pinion moving body comprises a pinion shielding member that is made of resin separately from the pinion gear and connected to the pinion gear, at one end axially placed in opposition to the ring gear, so as to be rotatable relative to the pinion gear; and wherein the pinion shielding member has an outer circumferential periphery, having an outer diameter greater than a diameter of an addendum circle of the pinion gear, and a bottomed cylindrical configuration formed with a hollow portion having one axial end facing the ring gear and opened and the other axial end directed in opposition to the ring gear and closed; wherein the pinion shielding member is integrally formed with a lever engaging portion held in engagement with the shift lever, a slight amount of clearance between an inner circumferential periphery of the nose portion of the housing and the outer circumferential periphery of the pinion shielding member is less than a clearance between the inner circumferential periphery of the nose portion of the housing and the addendum circle of the pinion gear.