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'Bakelite' turned out to be an incredible success, not only would it render rust issues and follower binding problems null, it was also lighter in weight. It was such a good material that they would elect to make AK pistol grips out of it as well, on top AK bayonet grips.
When it was time to move to the new 5.45x39mm cartridge and the AK-74, Russia didn't waste any time with steel magazines, they jumped straight to 'Bakelite'.
Originally made as a rather orange-red-brownish material, this looked pretty, but also could be somewhat more visible than desired in some situations, and eventually a darker color of the material was developed, commonly referred to as 'plum'.
This picture is of the later Russian 'Bakelite' magazines, with the darker color, notice also the little reinforcement ribs added along the body.
