An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising: a handle assembly including: a drive assembly; and a trigger operatively connected to the drive assembly; and a shaft assembly extending from the handle assembly, the shaft assembly including: an articulating neck assembly; and an end effector assembly supported on a distal end of the articulating neck assembly and being configured to form a surgical clip in place on the body tissue, wherein the end effector assembly includes: at least one clip disposed therein; jaws configured to receive and form the at least one clip; a pusher bar configured to load the at least one clip into the jaws, and a drive bar, to effectuate the closure of the jaws; characterised by; a drive sled slidably axially translatable therewithin; wherein the drive sled is selectively engaged with the pusher bar such that a distal advancement of the drive sled results in distal advancement of the pusher bar for a given distance and then the drive sled disconnects from the pusher bar after the given distance when the clip has been loaded into the jaws; and wherein the drive bar is selectively engaged by the drive sled following a loading of the clip into the jaws by the pusher bar, wherein distal advancement of the drive sled distally advances the drive bar to effectuate the closure of the jaws. a handle assembly including: a drive assembly; and a trigger operatively connected to the drive assembly; and a drive assembly; and a trigger operatively connected to the drive assembly; and a shaft assembly extending from the handle assembly, the shaft assembly including: an articulating neck assembly; and an end effector assembly supported on a distal end of the articulating neck assembly and being configured to form a surgical clip in place on the body tissue, wherein the end effector assembly includes: at least one clip disposed therein; jaws configured to receive and form the at least one clip; a pusher bar configured to load the at least one clip into the jaws, and a drive bar, to effectuate the closure of the jaws; characterised by; a drive sled slidably axially translatable therewithin; wherein the drive sled is selectively engaged with the pusher bar such that a distal advancement of the drive sled results in distal advancement of the pusher bar for a given distance and then the drive sled disconnects from the pusher bar after the given distance when the clip has been loaded into the jaws; and wherein the drive bar is selectively engaged by the drive sled following a loading of the clip into the jaws by the pusher bar, wherein distal advancement of the drive sled distally advances the drive bar to effectuate the closure of the jaws. an articulating neck assembly; and an end effector assembly supported on a distal end of the articulating neck assembly and being configured to form a surgical clip in place on the body tissue, wherein the end effector assembly includes: at least one clip disposed therein; jaws configured to receive and form the at least one clip; a pusher bar configured to load the at least one clip into the jaws, and a drive bar, to effectuate the closure of the jaws; characterised by; a drive sled slidably axially translatable therewithin; wherein the drive sled is selectively engaged with the pusher bar such that a distal advancement of the drive sled results in distal advancement of the pusher bar for a given distance and then the drive sled disconnects from the pusher bar after the given distance when the clip has been loaded into the jaws; and wherein the drive bar is selectively engaged by the drive sled following a loading of the clip into the jaws by the pusher bar, wherein distal advancement of the drive sled distally advances the drive bar to effectuate the closure of the jaws. at least one clip disposed therein; jaws configured to receive and form the at least one clip; a pusher bar configured to load the at least one clip into the jaws, and a drive bar, to effectuate the closure of the jaws; characterised by; a drive sled slidably axially translatable therewithin; wherein the drive sled is selectively engaged with the pusher bar such that a distal advancement of the drive sled results in distal advancement of the pusher bar for a given distance and then the drive sled disconnects from the pusher bar after the given distance when the clip has been loaded into the jaws; and wherein the drive bar is selectively engaged by the drive sled following a loading of the clip into the jaws by the pusher bar, wherein distal advancement of the drive sled distally advances the drive bar to effectuate the closure of the jaws.