A medical device comprises a control handle (2) having a stapling actuator (3) and an articulation joint actuator (4), a surgical stapling end effector (1, 20, 30), and a passive articulating joint (10) connecting the stapling end effector (1, 20, 30) to the control handle (2) and articulating about an articulation axis. A centering device (1012) having a pair of pre-loaded spring-biased plungers (1014) disposed in a pair of plunger cavities (1016) and alignment surfaces (1018) are disposed between a body of the control handle (2) and the surgical stapling end effector (1, 20, 30).
