The m/44 pistol was intended to be a lower-cost replacement for the Lahti L35 pistol for the Finnish Defense Forces, but production delays resulted in the first batch of 25 examples not being completed until after the end of the Continuation War. Treaties limited Finland's right to conduct arms development after the war, and the project was never taken farther than that first batch.

Mechanically, the pistol is a simple blowback 9x19mm pistol, with a single stack 8-round magazine, single action trigger, and external hammer. The barrel locking system is very reminiscent of the Ruby and Browning fixed barrel pistols, and the fire control parts are contained in a removable unit like a Tokarev. Production was done at VKT, the Finnish state rifle factory in 1944.