An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising: a handle assembly including a trigger and a drive bar reciprocally translatable by the trigger upon an actuation thereof a shaft assembly extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis, the shaft assembly including: a housing a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the housing a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the housing, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition a pusher bar disposed within the housing for reciprocal movement between a proximal position and a distal position defining a stroke having a length, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws upon a movement from the proximal position to the distal position an advancer plate disposed within the housing for reciprocal movement between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein the advancer plate is engaged by the pusher bar during a distal and a proximal movement of the pusher bar to effectuate one of a distal and proximal movement of the advancer plate and a wedge plate reciprocally disposed within the housing, the wedge plate being movable between a position where a distal end thereof is disposed in the jaws and a position where the distal end thereof is free from said jaws, characterized in that the apparatus further includes a connector plate reciprocally disposed within the housing, wherein the drive bar actuatable by the handle assembly is connected to the connector plate for effecting movement of the connector plate, and wherein the connector plate detachably connects to each of the pusher bar and the wedge plate during at least a portion of a firing stroke of the apparatus such that during an initial distal movement of the connector plate the pusher bar is distally advanced and during a further distal movement of the connector plate the connector plate is disconn
