Modernized versions of this gun were employed in the early stages of World War II.

It incorporated many new features for that time: a carriage with recoil devices, traverse and elevation tracking mechanisms, a precision sight for direct and indirect firing, a manual interrupted screw breech, and single-piece ammunition loading.

The gun was used in action for the first time in the Russo-Japanese War at the Battle of Telissu, but proved ineffective due to lack of crew training and the outdated conceptions of the senior artillery officers.

After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917 M1902 guns were employed by different factions: bolshevist Red Army, monarchist or counter-revolution White Guard, nationalist forces in Russian-minority areas, national armies of Poland and Finland and simply anarchists and bandits throughout the vast territories of former imperial Russia.

The White Guard and intervening Allied forces used a small number of tanks, primarily French Renault FTs and British Mk Vs or Whippets.

The M1902 gun with its high muzzle velocity was an effective weapon against such targets with only anti-bullet armour protection.

Due to a string of Russian defeats during the first two years of World War I large numbers of M1902's and their ammunition ended up in German hands.

The new barrel was made of steel alloy with chrome and nickel with excellent mechanical resistance to pressure which allowed, after modifying the firing brake, the recovery arch and the sighting devices an increase of the range from 8.5 km to 11.2 km and a rate of fire of 20 rounds/minute.

[7] [8] Poland captured large numbers of M1902 guns in the course of the Polish-Soviet War and pressed them into service as a standard piece of the mounted artillery, designated 76,2 mm armata wz.1902.