How to attach beadboard to plaster walls without blowing out nails?
Nail guns into concrete need big power behind them, I almost said "powder" and that's the truth.  Concrete rated nail guns use a black powder charge. They are literally nail bullets.    

Random screws made for wood aren't going to go into concrete either.  That expectation is completely unrealistic. There are screws specifically made for concrete, but they require pre-drilling.  There are drills specifically made for concrete.  

The fact that the concrete is cracked will present a problem for drills. (Tunnel boring machines making railway tunnels have the same problem.)  The BANGnailer probably won't mind so much.