A non-sterile, hand-held, manually-operated surgical instrument designed to perform through a compatible endoscopic instrument (e.g., an access port) to insert, manipulate, and activate (apply) an internally-anchored endoscopic retractor to provide hands-free retraction of a selected internal organ. It typically consists of a pistol-like device with a long, thin, insertion portion and a distal tip that can interface a variety of devices; it also includes an interchangeable tubular sleeve for retractor insertion. The applier is also intended to extract the retractor after completion of the procedure. This is a reusable device intended to be sterilized prior to use.