Surgical instruments and devices and methods facilitating the manufacture of the same

An assembly tool for facilitating assembly of a surgical instrument, comprising:

• a handle;
• a first neck releasably engagable with the handle and extending distally from the handle;
• and
• a pivot pin assembly including:
• an elongated proximal component having a proximal portion engaged with the first neck via a frangible connection, the elongated proximal component extending distally from the first neck;
• and
• an elongated distal component configured to engage the elongated proximal component, the elongated distal component having a closed distal end from which a distal collar extends radially outward, the pivot pin assembly engagable with the surgical instrument such that at least one jaw member of a pair of jaw members of the surgical instrument is movable relative to the other jaw member about the pivot pin assembly, the frangible connection configured to break upon application of stress thereto above a threshold, thereby separating the pivot pin assembly from the first neck.