It was a conventional design, with its most notable feature being its obsolescent autofrettaged bronze (so-called steel-bronze, see Franz von Uchatius) barrel, necessary because Austria-Hungary still had trouble making steel of the proper quality.

Austrians took years to decide on the proper recoil system of their new light field gun amid the so-called "quick-firing revolution", and the type of its breech.

At the turn of the 20th century Austro-Hungarian light field artillery was armed with a slightly upgraded design from mid-1870s, the 9 cm Feldkanone M 75/96 (classified as "accelerated fire" at the time due to a spring-mounted spade brake reducing but not eliminating recoil of the carriage).

German military was concerned that their closest ally may be outgunned, and after consulting with both Krupp and Ehrhardt Austrians bought the rights for the QF gun of the latter company.

"[7] The Italians also had an anti-aircraft version of the M 05/08 called the Cannone da 77/28 CA (contraereo).