I am not saying that you are no right about a Cheaper Than Dirt knock-off or novelty version of the 100 rd mag because they have offered various junk over the years. However there really is a military version of that 100 rd magazine. This mag was originally intended for the 7.62X39 MM RPK but instead was reconsidered and eventually made for the AKMS. This magazine is officially referred to as the Soviet Type 7 magazine and as far as the 2 halves thing goes there is some truth to it but not as they usually expect, the halves do not come apart, they are just manufactured in halves and then spot welded together. These mags were never issued on a widespread basis, they were only issued to airborne troops on a very limited basis, mainly to Spetsnaz troops. I have personally encountered only 1 of these magazines on my deployment to Afghanistan which was most likely a captured weapon from the prior Soviet invasion. I tried to bring the magazine home with me, my CO informed me that I could try but he didn’t think that it would make it past customs because of a Assault Rifle ban at the time. Needless to say customs didn’t let me bring it home. FYI there is also a small mention of this mag in the book Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations by Joe Poyer, the 3rd edition on page 48.

So basically CTD might have offered a novelty version but there is most definitely a true military version of it that was issued to elite airborne troops on a limited basis. Now on side note, as a former member of the 82nd Airborne I could not imagine jumping with such a big and bulky item but then again the Soviets were known for some strange ideas that sounded good in theory until they were actually produced.

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