An apparatus for endoscopic application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising: a handle portion; an elongated tubular member extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis; at least one surgical clip disposed within the tubular member; a jaw assembly, and a locking cam driver, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) mounted at a distal end of the elongated tubular member, each of the first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) including a raised element (38a, 38b) having a camming surface (40a, 40b), wherein the raised elements (38a, 38b) are disposed on a surface of the jaw members (26a, 26b) facing the locking cam driver, the surface of the jaw members (26a, 26b) on which the raised elements (38a, 38b) are disposed defining a plane, the jaw assembly being movable between a spaced, open position and an approximated, closed position; the locking cam driver including a bifurcated distal end portion having a pair of camming surfaces (52a, 52b), each camming surface (52a, 52b) of the locking cam driver configured to engage a corresponding camming surface of the jaw assembly to move the first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) from the spaced, open position to the approximated, closed position to thereby form a surgical clip, wherein each camming surface (52a,52b) of the locking cam driver is complementary of a respective camming surface of the jaw assembly, characterized in that the angle (β) between the camming surfaces (40a, 40b) of the first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) and the surface of the jaw members (26a, 26b) on which the raised elements (38a, 38b) are disposed is an acute angle. a handle portion; an elongated tubular member extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis; at least one surgical clip disposed within the tubular member; a jaw assembly, and a locking cam driver, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) mounted at a distal end of the elongated tubular member, each of the first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) including a raised element (38a, 38b) having a camming surface (40a, 40b), wherein the raised elements (38a, 38b) are disposed on a surface of the jaw members (26a, 26b) facing the locking cam driver, the surface of the jaw members (26a, 26b) on which the raised elements (38a, 38b) are disposed defining a plane, the jaw assembly being movable between a spaced, open position and an approximated, closed position; the locking cam driver including a bifurcated distal end portion having a pair of camming surfaces (52a, 52b), each camming surface (52a, 52b) of the locking cam driver configured to engage a corresponding camming surface of the jaw assembly to move the first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) from the spaced, open position to the approximated, closed position to thereby form a surgical clip, wherein each camming surface (52a,52b) of the locking cam driver is complementary of a respective camming surface of the jaw assembly, characterized in that the angle (β) between the camming surfaces (40a, 40b) of the first and second jaw members (26a, 26b) and the surface of the jaw members (26a, 26b) on which the raised elements (38a, 38b) are disposed is an acute angle.