A surgical clip applier, comprising: a handle assembly including a housing and a trigger pivotally connected to the housing; an elongated shaft extending distally from the handle assembly; a drive shaft mechanically engaged with the trigger and longitudinally distally translatable relative to the housing of the handle assembly in response to actuation of the trigger; a cam pin disposed in mechanical cooperation with the drive shaft; and an end effector disposed adjacent a distal end of the elongated shaft and including a first jaw member and a second jaw member, wherein the end effector is disposed in operative engagement with the drive shaft such that longitudinal distal translation of the drive shaft relative to the housing of the handle assembly causes the first jaw member to move toward the second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member includes a first cam slot configured to slidingly receive the cam pin, and wherein the first cam slot defines a first portion having a first slope relative to a longitudinal axis ("B") of the first jaw member and a second portion having a second slope relative to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw member, the first portion of the cam slot being disposed proximally of the second portion of the cam slot, and the first slope defining a first angle ("α") relative to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw member that is steeper than a second angle ("β") defined by the second slope relative to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw member, characterized in that the first portion (3 10a) of the first cam slot defines a shorter length than the second portion of the first cam slot. a handle assembly including a housing and a trigger pivotally connected to the housing; an elongated shaft extending distally from the handle assembly; a drive shaft mechanically engaged with the trigger and longitudinally distally translatable relative to the housing of the handle assembly in response to actuation of the trigger; a cam pin disposed in mechanical cooperation with the drive shaft; and an end effector disposed adjacent a distal end of the elongated shaft and including a first jaw member and a second jaw member, wherein the end effector is disposed in operative engagement with the drive shaft such that longitudinal distal translation of the drive shaft relative to the housing of the handle assembly causes the first jaw member to move toward the second jaw member, wherein the first jaw member includes a first cam slot configured to slidingly receive the cam pin, and wherein the first cam slot defines a first portion having a first slope relative to a longitudinal axis ("B") of the first jaw member and a second portion having a second slope relative to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw member, the first portion of the cam slot being disposed proximally of the second portion of the cam slot, and the first slope defining a first angle ("α") relative to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw member that is steeper than a second angle ("β") defined by the second slope relative to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw member, characterized in that the first portion (3 10a) of the first cam slot defines a shorter length than the second portion of the first cam slot.