A surgical stapler comprising: a tool assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises: a cartridge assembly carrying a plurality of staples; a channel assembly supporting the cartridge assembly therein; an anvil assembly dimensioned to deform said plurality of staples ejected from said cartridge assembly thereagainst; a sled movable through said cartridge assembly, said sled having cam wedges (161a,161b) for forcing said plurality of staples from said staple cartridge through tissue and against said anvil to staple tissue disposed between said anvil and said staple cartridge when said sled is moved through said cartridge assembly from a first position to a second position; and a dynamic clamping member movable with said sled through said channel assembly and said anvil assembly, said dynamic clamping member having an upper portion having an upper camming surface which slidingly engages said anvil, and a lower portion having a lower camming surface which slidingly engages said channel assembly, said upper and lower camming surfaces being substantially opposed to oppose the expansive forces associated with clamping and stapling tissue and to maintain a substantially uniform gap between tissue contacting surfaces of said anvil assembly and said cartridge assembly during stapling, characterized in that said sled has a base with a slot extending therethrough, said clamping member being secured to said sled through said slot that extends through the base of the sled. a tool assembly, wherein the tool assembly comprises: a cartridge assembly carrying a plurality of staples; a channel assembly supporting the cartridge assembly therein; an anvil assembly dimensioned to deform said plurality of staples ejected from said cartridge assembly thereagainst; a sled movable through said cartridge assembly, said sled having cam wedges (161a,161b) for forcing said plurality of staples from said staple cartridge through tissue and against said anvil to staple tissue disposed between said anvil and said staple cartridge when said sled is moved through said cartridge assembly from a first position to a second position; and a dynamic clamping member movable with said sled through said channel assembly and said anvil assembly, said dynamic clamping member having an upper portion having an upper camming surface which slidingly engages said anvil, and a lower portion having a lower camming surface which slidingly engages said channel assembly, said upper and lower camming surfaces being substantially opposed to oppose the expansive forces associated with clamping and stapling tissue and to maintain a substantially uniform gap between tissue contacting surfaces of said anvil assembly and said cartridge assembly during stapling, characterized in that said sled has a base with a slot extending therethrough, said clamping member being secured to said sled through said slot that extends through the base of the sled. a cartridge assembly carrying a plurality of staples; a channel assembly supporting the cartridge assembly therein; an anvil assembly dimensioned to deform said plurality of staples ejected from said cartridge assembly thereagainst; a sled movable through said cartridge assembly, said sled having cam wedges (161a,161b) for forcing said plurality of staples from said staple cartridge through tissue and against said anvil to staple tissue disposed between said anvil and said staple cartridge when said sled is moved through said cartridge assembly from a first position to a second position; and a dynamic clamping member movable with said sled through said channel assembly and said anvil assembly, said dynamic clamping member having an upper portion having an upper camming surface which slidingly engages said anvil, and a lower portion having a lower camming surface which slidingly engages said channel assembly, said upper and lower camming surfaces being substantially opposed to oppose the expansive forces associated with clamping and stapling tissue and to maintain a substantially uniform gap between tissue contacting surfaces of said anvil assembly and said cartridge assembly during stapling, characterized in that said sled has a base with a slot extending therethrough, said clamping member being secured to said sled through said slot that extends through the base of the sled.