Hi, not sure if this helps but my 12-S-1 is badged Bandit, and it has no lower blade guide, which I was a bit disappointed in. Nice solid wee saw otherwise.
I first used a Bandit some 30 years ago. It was still working well up until 5 years ago, but I never really liked it because of a lack of power and limited table tilt facility. The 301 was the replacement. Faced with a choice I would go for the later machine.
