A surgical sliding shaft instrument (10) having a shaft (12), which proximally opens into a first handle piece (14), and a slide (16), which can be moved along the shaft (12) by means of a second handle piece (18) hinged to the first handle piece (14), wherein the slide (16) and the second handle piece (16) are detachably connected to one another via a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism has a driver and a mounting (34), wherein the mounting (34) has a slot for the driver and the driver can be moved into a working position, in which it is held in the mounting (34), and into a release position, in which is can exit the mounting (34) via the slot, wherein the driver can be swivelled into the working position and into the release position by means of a lever (22), and wherein the driver can be locked in the working position.
