The development process for the 155 K 83 began in 1960 when Tampella presented their concept of a new 122 mm gun for the Finnish Army.

In order to take advantage of the design, a decision was made to further develop this into a 155 mm gun.

The last with a barrel length of 39 calibers (L39) was accepted as the 155 K 83 and placed into production with a run of 113 units.

During the 1990s, certain types of NATO ammunition evolved including some newer specialized charges which required some changes grinding the shape of the firing chamber, and this along with some small improvements to the firing mechanism could be added to the existing gun.

This resulted in an upgraded version, called the K 83-97, capable of firing the latest NATO ammunition.