Gate valves having a valve closure member slidably mounted, for closure by movement perpendicular to the fluid passage direction, in a housing center part having a pot-shaped upper portion and an approximately rectangular lower portion having flat walls including recesses for cylindrical fluid flow connections, and guide ledge lugs on the inside transverse walls of the housing center portion, on which ledge-shaped guide lugs on the plates of the closure member are slidably mounted for positive guidance of the closure member right to its closed position. The rectangular lower portions of the housing center part, including the flat walls, transverse walls, and guide ledge lugs are formed by hot backwards extrusion of a drop-forged preformed body.