I have one of each. May not have the bells and whistles, but both are well made and have never had a problem.
My Mak is Russian with Pearce Grips on it. Fun to shoot.
My CZ52 is pretty much original (think it was arsenal refinished) and is also fun to shoot. And the Tokarev round is a hot little number!
If you want to see something solid, take the slide off and look at the lock up mechanism. It uses rollers, like some rifles and machine guns! Grips aren't the most comfortable, but for the money (I paid $109 for mine!), it is worth it. It will probably out last us all.
As for "commie junk", if it lasts, holds some value, and can be relied on, why should we care who makes it? There are plenty of guns that are made in the USA that I wouldn't own, but where they are made has no bearing on buying or not buying. (not trying to start a flame war here....)
Safety and reliability, safety and reliablilty.....
Bottom line, find someone that has one or both, and go to the range. May not be what you are used to, but I think you will be surprised at how they shoot.