AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of gun advocates gathered peacefully Saturday at state capitals around the U.S. to rally against stricter limits on firearms, with demonstrators carrying rifles and pistols in some places while those elsewhere settled for waving hand-scrawled signs or screaming themselves hoarse. The size of crowds at each location varied — from dozens of people in South Dakota to 2,000 in New York. Between the Capitol and Legislative grounds, hundreds turned out in Carson City for the peaceful rally. Activists promoted the “Guns Across America” rallies primarily through social media. They were being held just after President Barack …