A surgical stapler for treating the tissue of a patient, comprising: a handle; a shaft extending from said handle; an end effector extending from said shaft, comprising: a first jaw; a second jaw, wherein one of said first jaw and said second jaw is movable relative to the other; a cartridge body including staple cavities; staples removably stored in said staple cavities; and an anvil configured to deform said staples; and a firing system configured to: eject said staples from said staple cavities toward said anvil during a firing stroke; and cut the tissue during a cutting stroke after said firing stroke has been completed, wherein said firing system comprises a firing bar configured to eject said staples from said staple cavities during said firing stroke, a knife bar configured to cut the tissue during said cutting stroke, and a firing trigger, and characterized in that the stapler further comprises a switching mechanism (980, 981) configured to permit said firing trigger to be manually shifted out of engagement with said firing bar and into engagement with said knife bar after said firing stroke, such that when said firing trigger is engaged with said firing bar, said firing bar is driven toward said end effector during an actuation of said firing trigger, and when said firing trigger is engaged with said knife bar, said knife bar is driven toward said end effector during said actuation of said firing trigger. a handle; a shaft extending from said handle; an end effector extending from said shaft, comprising: a first jaw; a second jaw, wherein one of said first jaw and said second jaw is movable relative to the other; a cartridge body including staple cavities; staples removably stored in said staple cavities; and an anvil configured to deform said staples; and a first jaw; a second jaw, wherein one of said first jaw and said second jaw is movable relative to the other; a cartridge body including staple cavities; staples removably stored in said staple cavities; and an anvil configured to deform said staples; and a firing system configured to: eject said staples from said staple cavities toward said anvil during a firing stroke; and cut the tissue during a cutting stroke after said firing stroke has been completed, eject said staples from said staple cavities toward said anvil during a firing stroke; and cut the tissue during a cutting stroke after said firing stroke has been completed, wherein said firing system comprises a firing bar configured to eject said staples from said staple cavities during said firing stroke, a knife bar configured to cut the tissue during said cutting stroke, and a firing trigger, and characterized in that the stapler further comprises a switching mechanism (980, 981) configured to permit said firing trigger to be manually shifted out of engagement with said firing bar and into engagement with said knife bar after said firing stroke, such that when said firing trigger is engaged with said firing bar, said firing bar is driven toward said end effector during an actuation of said firing trigger, and when said firing trigger is engaged with said knife bar, said knife bar is driven toward said end effector during said actuation of said firing trigger.