It originated from the Gewehrpatrone 1890 (7.5×53.5mm) developed in 1889 by mechanical engineer Lt. Col. Eduard Rubin for rifles based on Rudolf Schmidt's action design.

The 7.5×55mm Swiss GP 11 cartridge is similar in appearance to the slightly smaller 7.5×54mm French round though the two are not interchangeable.

The Gewehrpatrone 1890 round was loaded with a paper-patched lead hollow based heeled steel-capped round-nose bullet.

This paper patching reduced metallic fouling of the barrel and was supposed to aid in the gas seal of the bullet.

The GP 11 bullet contained a lead-antimony core and its jacket was made of plated steel or tombac.

Depending on the year of production the plating was made of copper, brass, nickel or copper-nickel.

The GP 11 cartridge cases were made of brass (72% of copper and 28% zinc) or, from May 1943 to January 1947, due to supply shortages in Switzerland, of aluminum or steel.

[3] Maximum range with the GP 11 under Swiss chosen atmospheric conditions (altitude = 800 m (2,625 ft), air pressure = 649 mm (25.55 in) Hg, temperature = 7 °C (45 °F)) equaling ICAO Standard Atmosphere conditions at 653.2 m (2,143 ft) (air density ρ = 1.150 kg/m3) is acquired when the barrel is elevated 37° and is muzzle velocity dependent.

[4] The GP 11 bullet set off the militaries of countries like Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom at the onset of and after World War I to develop and field similar full metal jacket boat tail spitzer bullets to improve the maximum useful range and long-range performance of the full metal jacket flat-based spitzer bullet designs they used.

GP 11 cartridges were mass-produced for the Swiss military in the ammunition factories in Altdorf and in Thun until 1994.

[7] Due to the greater pressures produced by the GP 11 rounds, they are not safe to be fired in Model 1889 Schmidt–Rubin rifles which have bore diameters of 0.305 - 0.306".

According to the official Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives (C.I.P.)

regulated countries are currently (2016) proof tested at 475.00 MPa (68,893 psi) PE piezo pressure.

Due to the uncommon 12.72 mm (0.501 in) diameter bolt face the 7.5×55mm Swiss GP 11 was and is rarely chambered in civilian target or hunting guns made outside Switzerland.

[8] Due to the availability of surplus K31 rifles on the civilian market, a number of cartridge manufacturers, such as Prvi Partizan, produce 7.5×55mm GP 11-like rounds in full metal jacket, soft-tip, and ballistic tip configurations.

Civilian manufacturers also produce similar cartridge cases with Boxer large rifle primers for easier reloading.

Case rims are slightly undersized, but this presents no problems so long as the rifle's extractor is in good condition.