The present application relates to surgical clip appliers having a plurality of clips for applying the clips to body tissues and vessels during surgical procedures and their methods of use and specifically to a reusable counter mechanism for use with a surgical clip applier. The surgical clip applier includes a housing, at least one handle pivotably connected to the housing, a channel assembly extending distally from the housing, a plurality of clips loaded in the channel assembly, a drive channel translatably supported in the housing and the channel assembly and being translatable upon actuation of the at least one handle, and a reusable counter mechanism removably insertable into a counter slot extending into the housing and engagable with the drive channel. The counter mechanism is configured display indicia corresponding to a quantity of clips and to update the indicia upon translation of the drive channel.